Tactics, Love & Devotion
by NanouBE76
Summary: The life, the love, the hardship of the S.W.A.T Team. It's all about Tactics, Love and Devotion.
1. Chapter 1

Hondo and Dom sat in the car.

"Does anyone have eyes on the suspect"? asked Hondo.

At that moment in time, Deacon saw the suspect through his binoculars, from the rooftop opposite from where Hondo was parked. "I've got her. Street, she's heading in your direction".

Street waited further down the street. A few minutes later, Deacon joined him. "Got her". He looked again in his binoculars. She was wearing a classy fitted black dress and high heels. "Wait that's our suspect? Why do they always need to look so hot"?

Deacon looked at him and smiled, as Hondo and Dom did the same in the car.

"Sexy or not", said Hondo, "She's one of the top drug distributors in the city. Chris talk to me".

"She just walked into the warehouse; the seller is already there".

"Alright, everyone in position, we only go in when the transaction is complete".

Hondo and Dom got out of the car and headed towards the warehouse. Jim, Deacon and Victor joined them.

"Mr. Schmit, thank you for coming. Do you have the merchandise"?

The man showed a few piles of carton boxes.

Raven Hart walked over to the boxes, she grabbed a cutter and cut open the taped top of the box. She pulled out a huge plastic bag with plenty of yellow pills.

"There's 75,000, just as planned. Where's the money"?

Raven showed him a duffle bag in the corner of the room. His guy walked over and brought it back. Schmit unzipped it and looked inside.

"What is this, some kind of joke? We agreed to one million".

He pulled his gun out. "That's only 500,000 dollars".

"Chris"?

"Still ongoing Hondo but things are heating up. The seller is getting antsy. All the cash isn't there".

Hondo looked at Dom. "What do you mean"?

"Let's just say a gun's involved".

Hondo frowned. "We need these two alive".

Deacon looked at Hondo. "What do you want to do"? He watched as Hondo thought.

"We wait. Chris, if things escalate, take him down".

"Mr. Schmit, I run the biggest distribution network in the city. What my dealers sell me, is distributed all throughout LA's clubs. You're new here. I don't know you. I don't know how good your merchandise is. It sells, you get the rest in a week".

Schmit armed his gun.

Raven didn't flinch. "You came to me for business, not the other way around. You want to do business, you do it my way or you take your boxes, your guy and you try to find another competent distributor. Good luck in finding one".

She cocked her head to the side, maintaining a firm stare on him.

He disarmed his gun and put it away. "You play hardball, Miss Hart. I like that".

He took the duffle bag and put his hand out. "It's a pleasure doing business with you Miss Hart. We'll be in touch".

Raven shook it. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr Schmit".

Hondo looked at the team. "Let's go"!

They opened the door and walked into the warehouse, rifles in hand.

"Metro SWAT"! said Hondo.

Schmit and Hart stopped dead in their tracks.

"On the floor"!

Raven tried to escape but found herself face to face with Deacon.

"Where do you think you're going"?

He grabbed her forcefully and pinned her down harshly to the ground, as Dom and Hondo took care of Schmit and his guy. Deacon bent over her, grabbed her hands and cuffed her with a cable tie. He then lifted her up, holding her by the arm.

She looked at him. "You smell good".

"Shut your mouth".

"Victor put these two in the patrol car outside. Deacon and Street take Miss Hart to the SWAT truck, nothing would please me more than to bring her in ourselves. We'll be out shortly with the cash and the drugs".

Deacon pushed Raven out of the warehouse and towards the truck and placed her against it, standing in front of her.

"You know", Raven said as she looked at Deacon, "you really are my type of man".

"Is that so"?

"Yeah, extremely handsome, strong, sexy. I'm sure we'd have a great time together".

Deacon moved in closer to her. "What did you have in mind"?

Jim blinked a couple of times but said nothing.

Deacon gave a quick glance towards the warehouse door.

"Take me somewhere a bit more private and I'll show you".

Jim watched as Deacon took out his cable tie cutter and leaned towards her to sever them.

"Deacon, man! What are you doing"?

"You said it yourself Street, she's hot. Why pass up an opportunity like this one? Bang on the truck when Hondo comes out".

"Have you freaking lost your mind"? yelled Jim, his eyes wide open as Deacon pushed Raven towards the truck's open back doors.

"Just watch the door".

Jim frantically passed a hand in his hair and watched helplessly as Deacon helped her in and closed the doors behind him.

Five minutes later, the warehouse door opened with Chris, Dom and Hondo. Jim's eyes grew wide open. He discreetly knocked a few times on the side of the truck.

"Where's Deacon"? asked Hondo.

Jim fidgeted. "He's putting the suspect in the truck. He should be out any second now".

"Alright. Well, there's no point in waiting. Let's put Miss Hart behind bars".

Hondo headed towards the door.

"You alright Street? You seem nervous".

"No, I'm good boss. I'll open the doors".

"Is there something I should know"?

"Nope".

Jim winced and his heartbeat accelerated as Hondo opened the doors.

The doors opened to reveal Deacon and Raven Hart sitting next to each other, talking. Deacon's arm around her.

Deacon turned around and looked at Street. "What the hell is going on"?

Jim panicked, unable to utter a word.

Hondo and the others started laughing, including Raven Hart.

He stared at them puzzle.

"Relax", said Hondo as he lifted Raven out of the van and set her down. "Jim Street, I'd like you to meet Narc Detective Emmaline Luca".

"Luca"? asked Jim.

Dom took his sister in an embrace. "My sister".

Jim punched Deacon in the shoulder. "You son of a bitch"!

"Take it easy sport", said Emma. "They do this every time there's a new SWAT member. Classic hazing"! She put her hand out. "No hard feelings"?

Jim shook it and smiled. "Nah. It's a pleasure to meet you". He then looked at Dom. "Hey, man, I didn't mean any disrespect earlier when I said she was hot".

Dom laughed. "It's cool, Street. I won't kill you just yet".

Hondo took Emma to the side.

"What the hell happened in there"?

Emma's face tightened. "I have no idea but someone's going to have to give me answers. I was supposed to have all the cash".

"Kwan didn't advise you"?

"No, but a heads up would have been nice".

"Chris had your back, no matter what".

Emma looked at Chris and gave her a grateful nod.

Hondo put his arm around her and pulled her in a brotherly hug. "You did good Emma. You always do. One less dealer out on the streets".

"Alright everyone, lets head back to headquarters".

Dom hugged Emma and kissed her forehead. "See you back at headquarters".

Jim looked on as Hondo, Dom and Deacon headed to the car. "Why isn't Dom riding back with his sister"?

"It's against protocol as to not interfere with the investigation. Protocol is that only three of us escort her back. She debriefs and then we all go out for beers"!

Chris sat in the back with Emma and they all returned to Headquarters.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma walked into Narc accompanied by applause from her different teammates. She thanked them kindly and then barged into Captain Kwan's office.

"Well done Detective Luca".

Emma stared him down. "You want to explain to me why only half of the money was there"?

"We've got the Commander breathing down our necks, Emma. There are too many risks".

"OK, that's cool, but next time, I'd like to know. You send me in there blindsided".

Kwan smiled. "And yet, here you are".

"I'm being serious Ken. I may be good, but if there's one thing I could do without is improvising, especially when I've got a gun pointed at my head. You guys pull off another stunt like that again and I'm gone".

Ken stood. "Emma, come on".

"Ken, I bring in more dealers than any of the guys in this Unit. Now, if the Commander doesn't want to clean the streets anymore and respect the fact that I, we, put our lives down on the line every single time, then maybe it's time I found someone who will respect that".

"Emma, your preaching to the choir. Debrief with Frank. Put as much detail in the debrief and I'll make sure it finds its way on the Commander's desk".

He stood and walked over to her.

"You are the best undercover narc detective we have. This unit can't stand to lose you".

Emma nodded and left the office toward Frank's desk to prepare her debrief.

Later, Emma showered and changed. She slid behind the wheel of her Ford Mustang and headed to the bar.

Street noticed her the minute she walked in. She was wearing a leather jacket, a red blouse, a pair of black jeans and black boots. All the cops near the entrance, said hi to her and she stopped to talk to them. Deacon arrived as she was talking. He interrupted them and hugged Emma.

"Hope you guys won't hate me for taking her from you for a couple of minutes"?

"Go ahead Deacon, the night is still young", said one of the cops he knew well.

Deacon took Emma aside under Jim's curious stare.

Deacon looked at Emma's face and frowned. He placed his hand on her cheek, where a big bruise had surfaced.

"Did I do that"?

She took his hand in hers and removed it from her cheek. "Don't worry about it. You were just doing your job".

He dug his hands in his pockets. "My job does not entail me hurting you".

"Deacon, it's okay. You want to make it up to me? Buy me a beer, I'm thirsty".

Deacon smiled. "You got it. Come on, let's see who's here".

"To Detective Emmaline Luca, and one less drug dealer out of the streets"! They all put up their beer bottles and toasted her.

After spending time with them all night and watching them and how close they all were, Jim realized that it was more than just a team. It was a family and he longed for that kind of bond.


	3. Chapter 3

**One year later:**

Hondo and Luca arrived at SWAT Headquarters at the same time. It was a Saturday, the team was normally off today, yet they had apparently been called back.

"Any idea as to what's going on"? asked Luca.

"No. I guess we'll know soon enough".

As they were in the locker room getting ready, the rest of the team came in.

"I was in the middle of an important discussion with Annie, this better be worth it", said Deacon angrily.

"More custody issues"? asked Hondo.

"It's been two years and now she's asking for full custody. And being called in right now, isn't helping".

"I get it Deac, but if they called us in, it must be important".

"I don't doubt it, but I don't think Annie will agree with that".

They entered the heart of the command center where Captain Cortez, Captain Miller and Captain Kwan were waiting for them. Mumford and his team were already there, along with other cops in gear that weren't SWAT. Captain John Miller oversaw Gang and Captain Ken Kwan Narc.

Hondo and the others looked around the room, whatever it was, it was big.

"A lot of big necks here today", said Luca.

Hicks walked in and joined them.

"Thank you all for coming and for some, on short notice. I know some of you were off today and I'm sorry that your plans got cut short. Today, we're here to assist on a joint mission between SWAT, Gang and Narc. I'll let Captain Kwan take over".

"Thank you, Commander Hicks". The screen behind him lit up, showing the photo of a face they knew well in the area. "A months ago, we infiltrated two of our best undercover cops into the Esteban Lopez cartel run by the Cubanisto Gang. Two days ago, they were supposed to contact us, as they do every week, but we never heard back".

"You think they've been made"? asked Mumford.

"It's what we fear. We don't see any other reason for them not contacting their handler".

"One of our CIs has given us a probable location on where Lopez may be and where they may be held. His intel seems to be confirmed", said Miller. "We've got a few hours to set up our extraction".

Jess looked at the SWAT teams. "SWAT will have the lead and will be assisted by Gang and Narc. Mumford and Hondo, I need you to make sure that your teams are up to speed on the situation and set up an extraction plan".

Both Mumford and Hondo nodded.

"Excuse me, Captain Kwan, do we get to know the identities of the undercover cops, so that we can identify them when we get in"? asked Rocker.

"Affirmative. The two cops that were infiltrated, are Detectives Frank Tuttle and Emmaline Luca", he pointed to the screen behind them revealing their service photos.

Dom was talking and smiling with Deacon, about the latest girl he had met, when Hondo nudged him.

"Luca" he said in a worried voice.

Dom turned to him puzzled, then up at the screen and his smiled faded as he saw his younger sister's photograph up on the screen.

Deacon's smile also faded, upon seeing her face.

Dom moved towards the front of the group with a worried look on his face. "Captain Kwan, has your CI given any details as to the status of the infiltrated cops"?

Kwan looked at Dom. They knew each other quite well and he could only imagine what Dom was going through right now. "Considering the circumstances, Sergeant Luca, I understand your concern, but we have not been able to get any information on that".

Dom said nothing and Hondo placed an understanding hand on his shoulder.

"GND are there to assist you in preparing the extraction. Let's get to work", said Captain Miller.

The various groups spread out. Officer Cole, who was a complete asshole and known misogynist, looked at Dom.

"Maybe your baby sister went rogue, got a taste for the easy money and latinos, I hear they like it when it's hot and sexy".

Dom walked over to him fuming. "What did you just say? That's my sister you're talking about, you asshole"! Hondo and Deacon walked over to Dom and grabbed him.

"Dom, let it go man. He's not worth it"!

Hondo looked at Deacon. "Get him out of here".

Deacon nodded and led Dom away.

Hondo walked over to Cole. "You're one piece of work, you know that? His sister could be dead right now. You're way out of line".

"What are you going to do? Report me"?

"You bet I will".

"Is that a threat, Hondo"?

"No. It's a fact. You've crossed the line and gone too far this time".


	4. Chapter 4

Hondo walked over to other and they headed for the locker room.

They met up with Deacon in the locker room and found Dom pacing the floor.

"Luca, we'll get her out of there", said Hondo as he neared him.

Dom stopped pacing. "Hondo, we're talking about Esteban Lopez. You know what he's capable of".

They knew what Lopez was capable of, not more than a year ago he had beaten and gutted four of his own men, while they were still alive. He was a monster.

"She's one of the best undercover cops I know, you've got to have faith in that", replied Hondo.

Dom banged his hands into one of the lockers and yelled in anger and desperation. Still leaning against the locker put his head down.

Hondo walked over to him. "Dom, you need to get your head in the game and if you can't, maybe you should sit this one out".

Dom looked up at Hondo, tears in his eyes. "She's my sister Hondo".

"I know, man, and she needs you, she needs all of us, so we are going to go in there and bring her back. But in order to do that, I need you to be focused".

Dom nodded, wiped away his tears, stood up and inhaled.

"Did you know she was undercover"? asked Chris.

"Yeah, she always tells me, I just never know where, why or for how long".

"She's been confronted by much worse than Lopez", said Deacon, "she can handle it".

"I hope you're right", replied Dom as he headed towards the door, the other following in tow.

Even though it was hard, they put their heads in the game and worked closely with Mumford's team and GND. They looked at the different possible entry points of the warehouse where Lopez was said to be. The hardest part was not knowing how many men there was going to be or where Emma and Frank would be held, if they were even there.

"You thought you could come into my team, betray me, try to turn me in and get away with it"? said Esteban as he punched Frank in the flank.

Frank groaned in pain. He and Emma were shackled and hanging from the warehouse ceiling, unable to touch the ground. They had been stripped of their clothes, only leaving the bare minimum. They were both in bad shape and they knew it was going to get worse.

Esteban gave him another punch and then walked over to Emma and looked at her. Her lip was bleeding as well as her eyebrow. Contusions covered most of her body.

"It's a real pity, such a beautiful woman like yourself to end up being a cop. We could have made magic together, chica. Now, the only thing I want to do is make you suffer and kill you".

She lifted her head and looked at him with a fierce look in her eye. "I'd rather die than share your world".

He pulled his arm as far back as he could, and slapped her with the back of his hand, giving all the strength he had. Her head swayed to the side, bursting her already open lip even more, sending trickles of blood down her face to her chest, on the already blood-stained white bra she was wearing.

She could taste the blood in her mouth. A taste she hated but had come to be familiar with. She centered her head back and spit blood at him.

"Go to hell"!

"Save your breath, cause soon it will be your last".

He punched her in between the ribs as she clenched her teeth and held back a muffled groan of pain.

One of his men came to him. "Luis is on the phone for you".

Esteban nodded and looked at the two other men who were with him. "Keep an eye on them. I'll be back and then we're going to finish this masquerade once and for all".


	5. Chapter 5

"We're five minutes out", said Victor as he neared the warehouse.

Hondo looked at his team. "Fill the gaps, stay liquid and we all come home tonight, all of us"!

They all knew he meant Emmaline. Aside from being a cop, she was family to all of them. She was one of them.

Hondo, Deacon and Dom momentarily closed their eyes. Each of them picturing a memory with Emmaline.

_Hondo- one year ago: _

_Emmaline walked into SWAT command center. It was late and most everybody had left. She saw Hondo sparing with the punching bag and smiled at him. He stopped upon seeing her and smiled back. She was wearing tactical gear which intrigued him._

"_Hey Hondo"._

"_Hey Emma, you've finally decided to join SWAT"?_

"_Ha, good one. I just got back from tactical training. I was looking for Dom. He around"?_

"_He left already"._

"_Are you serious"?_

"_Do I look like I'm pulling your leg"?_

"_Knowing you, it's a possibility"._

"_He left about an hour ago"._

_She shook her head. "Jerk. We were supposed to have dinner together tonight"._

"_Ouch. Looks like your big brother is going to get hell for skipping out on dinner. If it's any consolation, he was supposed to spar with me"._

"_Looks like he bailed out on both of us. I hope she's worth it"._

_Hondo laughed. "So, what now, you're heading home"?_

_She removed her backpack from her shoulder and placed it on the floor. "Nope. First I'm going to take Dom's place on the ring and then I'll go to dinner"._

_Hondo grinned at her. "Alright, then I'll take Dom's place at dinner"._

"_Deal"._

_He helped her put the gloves on then put on his. They headed for the ring. He looked at her with a serious face._

"_Show me what you got", he said as he put his mouth guard in place._

_She smiled. "Are you sure you can handle it"? she said before putting hers in._

He reopened his eyes, her face etched in his mind. He would never forget the devious sparkle she had in her eyes as she had looked at him at that moment, the determination she had. He hoped he'd have the chance to see it again.

_Deacon – 9 months ago:_

"_Is this spot taken"? _

_Emma lifted her head and looked up._

"_Deacon? What are you doing here"? she asked surprised but happy. _

"_Thought I'd try this movie in the park thing". He pointed to the empty spot next to her. "May I"?_

_She smiled at him. "Are you kidding? Of course"._

_He pulled open his foldable chair and set it next to hers._

"_What movie are they playing exactly"? he asked as he settled down._

_She laughed, mocking him. "You came without knowing what movie they're playing"?_

"_Go ahead, mock me", he answered as he nudged her._

"_Hey, be nice. Otherwise I'm not sharing my beer with you"._

_He cocked his head to the side. "You brought beer? Is that even legal"?_

"_Sergeant Kay, I'm shocked that you would think that I would do anything illegal, I am a cop, remember"._

"_Seeing you like this, I almost tend to forget it, Detective Luca"._

_She opened a small cooler she had next to her and took out two beers. She handed him one._

_He took it then opened his bag and retrieved a bag of chips that he opened and placed on his lap._

"_Cheers", he said as he clinked his bottle against hers._

"_Cheers"._

"_So anyway, what's playing"?_

_She smiled at him. "If I tell you, you'll leave, and those chips are starting to look really good right now"._

_He tilted his head playfully. "I hope the chips aren't the only thing that looks really good"._

_He noticed her blush and he smiled._

"_I never said that"._

_They looked at each other and then she looked back towards the open-air screen._

As he opened his eyes again, he remembered how beautiful she had looked, the way she smiled, and the wind blowing in her hair. Romeo and Juliet had played that night and even though it was a tragedy, he would have given anything to be back there with her instead of wondering if tragedy would strike them tonight.

_Dom – 2 years ago:_

"_Dom! Open the door"!_

"_Go home Emma"!_

"_Open the God damn door or I'm kicking it in"!_

"_You wouldn't dare"!_

"_Try me"!_

_Dom had gotten off the couch, turned the knob and had returned to his initial spot, by the time Emma had walked in._

"_You're kidding me right"?_

"_What"?_

_Emma looked around, the place was a mess, there were beer cans all over the place, empty tequila bottles, and leftovers of Chinese takeout._

"_Get up"!_

"_Emma, just go home, I'm fine"._

"_You're fine, my ass. Look at this place and look at yourself. You look like you haven't showered in 4 days, let alone shave. You barely look sober. I'm worried about you"._

"_Don't be"._

"_I get it that she left you, Dom but you've got to pull it together". She motioned around the room. "This is not how you get back on your feet. She cheated on you and she doesn't deserve for you to wallow in self-pity like this"._

"_What do you care"? fired back Dom, the alcohol talking._

_She walked over to him and pulled him off the couch and pinned him to the wall._

"_You are my brother; I love you and I will always be there for you. Do you get that"?_

"_It's not your job to look after me, I'm the one who needs to look after you. Why are you here"?_

_She took his face in between her hands and looked at him with such love, it had filled his empty heart._

"_We are a family. We stick together and we don't leave anybody behind. You jump, I jump, remember"?_

_Dom had started to cry at that moment in time and placed his head on her shoulder._

The words she had said resonated in his head still. When he had hit rock bottom, even when he hadn't asked for help, she had been there. They were a family, they stuck together and there was no way he was going to leave her behind. This time, it was his turn to look out for her.


	6. Chapter 6

When they reached the outskirts of the warehouse, they all gathered and walked through the plan. The two SWAT teams positioned themselves, GND a bit in retreat, waiting for SWAT to do what they did best.

Esteban walked back to where Frank and Emma were. Both were coming in and out of consciousness.

"Let's end this", said Esteban. "You know the drill, kill them", he said to his men.

One of the men walked over to Frank and positioned himself behind him. He placed a large cable tie around Frank's neck and started to tighten it.

"Frank"! yelled Emma. "You son of a bitch"! she said as she looked at Esteban.

Frank's eyes shot open as the lack of air brought him back into consciousness. The sounds of his strangulation were heart retching.

The other guy came towards Emma. Her survival instinct kicked in. With the bit of strength, she had left, she used her ab muscles to lift her legs and in one swift move, the guy hadn't seen coming, she crossed her legs, capturing his head in her hold. She tightened her legs around his neck. He tried to grab her, but she used his body to push her own back as far away as she could.

A gunshot was heard, then a second one, and pain ripped through her body. No matter how hard she tried, there was nothing she could have do to prevent her legs from not letting go of the hold.

"We've got shots fired", said Hondo. "On my count of three". He looked at his team and nodded.

The guy rubbed his neck. "Puta", he said as he headed behind her, as she looked down. There were two gunshot wounds, one to her thigh and the other in her abdomen, both were bleeding heavily. The guy grabbed her hair and yanked it back forcefully. The other guy joined him. Emma looked in Frank's direction and she knew he was gone.

As she felt the cable tie slide around her neck, she thought about Dom and others who had an important part in her life. There were still so many things she wanted to do in her life. Things she had never had the time to say, and now she would never get that chance. She closed her eyes as she felt the cable tie tighten around her neck.

"One, two, three"! said Hondo.

On both extremities of the warehouse, the doors were battered in. "Metro SWAT"! yelled Hondo as he and the others ran inside the warehouse, guns armed and ready to shoot. They shot Esteban's men as they proceeded with care, still no sight of Emma or Frank.

"South entry clear", said Mumford.

"North entry clear as well", said Hondo. "Let's keep moving".

They walked down a long corridor and ducked as shots came their way from above a staircase. Victor took out the shooter sending him tumbling down the stairs.

"Sierra 1", said Hondo as he pointed upstairs. Deacon and Victor started to climb the stairs. "Sierra 2", he said as he pointed to another corridor on their left. Dom and Chris headed towards it. He and street continued moving down their corridor.

Deacon and Victor reached the top of the stairs and walked around. They took cover as shots were fired in their direction. That's when Deacon saw Frank and Emma, one story down in a huge empty open space. He noticed the cable tie around Emma's neck, she was wriggling, trying desperately to get air into her lungs. He saw the guy, crank the cable tie another notch and he knew they were running out of time.

"I've got a visual, you're twelve o'clock, Hondo", he said.

"Copy that Sierra 1, we're on our way, but it's going to take some time. We're under fire here".

"She doesn't have time Hondo". Deacon looked at Victor. "Cover me".

Victor looked at him. "Go".

Deacon stood and shot two assailants as he headed towards the railing. He could hear Victor shooting behind him. Deacon aimed his gun at the guy standing behind Emma. He took a deep breath, held it in and pulled the trigger. The bullet lodged itself in the head and he fell to the ground. Deacon let go of his fully automatic rifle and let it fall to his flank. He grabbed the railing and looked down. It was about an 8-foot drop and no other SWAT members were in sight. He gave Emma one last look; she had stopped wriggling and her eyes were closed. He hoisted himself over the railing, landed on his feet, tucked and rolled.

He saw Lopez from the corner of his eye as he stood. He headed towards Emma as Hondo and Street arrived in the open space.

"Lopez is getting away", Deacon said as he pointed in the direction he had ran towards. Hondo looked at Emma. "I've got her, go"! Deacon said as he watched Street and Hondo run after Lopez.

When Deacon reached Emma, he took out his cutter and severed the cable tie. He then put his arm around her lifeless, bruised and blood splattered body. When he removed the shackles from her wrists, he cradled her and placed her delicately on the ground.

Victor joined him, as he was leaning his ear over her mouth and checking for a pulse.

"She's not breathing, starting CPR", said Deacon as he placed his mouth over Emma's and breathed into her.

Victor grabbed his radio. "Sierra 1 for base camp. We need medic aid".

"That's a negative, Sierra 1, location is not secure yet".

Victor applied pressure to Emma's abdomen that was bleeding abundantly, as Deacon did chest compressions, then breathed into her again.

"Come on, Emma. Don't give up on me now", he said as he went for another round of chest compressions. "Fight god damnit, fight back"!

Victor looked at Deacon, he could hear the plea in his voice and the distress in his eyes.

Deacon stopped.

"What are you doing"? asked Victor.

Deacon placed his arms underneath Emma and lifted her in his arms.

"Base camp, this is Sierra 1, we're coming out, those paramedics better be ready"!

Victor covered Deacon as they hurried down the corridor towards the door. When they arrived outside, the paramedics were waiting with the gurney. The Gang and Narc teams along with Hicks, Cortez, Miller and Kwan watched as Deacon walked over to the gurney and laid Emma down on it. Her arms hung lifelessly along the sides of the gurney, revealing the contusions and bloody scratches on her wrists from the shackles.

"She's not breathing", said Deacon as he looked at her, "I started CPR".

He took her hands gently and lifted her arms, placing them on the gurney.

Rob, one of the paramedics they knew well, looked at him. "Deacon, we've got this".

"Base camp this is Sierra 3, location is secure, and we've got Lopez in custody".

"Copy that Sierra 3, sending GND".

Deacon and Victor watched as the ambulance rode off, sirens blazing.

Deacon backed up against the building, removed his helmet, bent over, placed his hands on his thighs and closed his eyes as tears trickled down his cheek.

Kwan came over to them. "Frank"? he asked.

Deacon lifted his head slightly and shook it.

Kwan nodded in understanding, put his head down and walked into the building.

Hondo and Street came out with Lopez. Deacon stood up straight, wiped away his tears and walked over to Lopez.

"You better pray that they put you in a maximum-security prison, because if they don't, I will come for you and I will kill you".

"Sergeant Kay", said Hicks, "that's enough". Deacon walked away. Hicks turned to Street. "Get him out of here".

"My pleasure, Captain", he answered as he pushed Lopez towards one of the patrol cars, where cops were waiting for him.

Dom came rushing out of the building with Chris on his tail.

"Where is she? Where's Emma"?

"She's on her way to the hospital", replied Victor.

"Is she alright"?

No one answered him.

"Is she alive"?

"We may have gotten there too late, it's too soon to tell", said Deacon who had reappeared.

They all watched as Dom came apart. He turned on himself a couple of times, lost in the mix of emotions he was feeling.

"I need to get to the hospital", he said out loud to no one in particular, then headed for the SWAT van.

Hondo looked at Jessica.

She didn't need to hear his words, she understood what he meant.

"Go", she said. "We've got it from here".

Hondo nodded and they all headed for the van.

"Hondo?", called out Jessica. "Keep me posted".

Victor arrived at the driver's seat, where Dom was sitting, his hands immobilized over the steering wheel and shaking. "It's OK Dom, I'll drive".

Dom looked at his hands then at Victor and nodded. He then jumped out and headed for the back.

They left the warehouse grounds, sirens wailing and lights flashing, each one silently praying that Emma would make it.


	7. Chapter 7

Janet walked out of the trauma room and saw Dom running into the ER, the others trailing behind him.

Dom saw Janet and walked over to her.

"How is she"?

"There still working on her Dom", she said softly.

He looked at her. "What does that mean"?

She knew Dom well. They had dated for a while in the past and she knew, not only how sensitive he was but also how close he and Emma were.

She took a step in his direction and placed her hand on his. "They're still trying to bring her back".

Dom took a step back, as he felt his legs weaken.

Hondo held on to him and sat him down on the nearest chair available.

Janet walked over to Deacon. "Can I talk to you for a minute"?

"Sure", he said.

They stepped over to the side.

"Rob said you had started performing CPR on site".

"Yeah".

"How long would you say she was down for before you got to her"?

"I don't know two minutes, maybe three".

"And CPR"?

"Five minutes maximum. Why do you ask"?

"We need to know how long we've been trying to bring her back, Deacon. There's a limit to how long we can try to revive her".

Deacon looked past her towards the trauma room. He pressed his lips together and she could see that his eyes were getting humid.

"Janet, this is Emma we're talking about. They've got to keep trying. I know her, she's strong, she can come back".

"They're doing everything they can, but you need to know that we're running out of time".

"What can we do"?

She cocked her head to the side; she knew he was a practicing catholic. "Pray".

He nodded.

"I need to get back in there".

Deacon watched as she returned to the trauma room. He looked at Dom, surrounded by the others. He was a broken shell, a ghost of a man and Deacon realized he felt the same. He felt helpless. He headed for the elevators. He went up two floors and entered the chapel. He sat down, bent his head, cried and prayed like he had never prayed before.

Deacon had just returned to the waiting room when Janet came running towards them. They all stood immediately.

"We've managed to get her heart beating again. They're taking her up to surgery".

"So, she's OK"? asked Dom.

"It's only half the fight but it's a good start. Along with the gunshot wounds, there's internal bleeding. It's not going to be an easy surgery. There's only so much we can do. The rest is up to her. We'll let you know as soon as its over".

Hondo stood once Janet had left and looked at Dom. "She's a fighter Dom, she'll pull through".

Little by little cops from GND arrived and joined them. Within a half an hour, the waiting room was packed.

Jess walked in and joined Hondo and the others. "Any update"?

"Not yet. She's still in surgery, we haven't heard back yet".

Jess looked at Dom. "Did he contact their father"?

"Yes, he's on vacation in Mexico. He's trying to get a flight back".

"It must not be easy for Dom".

"It's not easy for any of us. She's not just a cop, she's family".


	8. Chapter 8

At around one o'clock in the morning, Dom thanked most of the cops that were there and told them to head home to their families and he would update them when he could.

"You remember when she told you she was joining Narc"? asked Hondo as he looked at Dom.

Dom smiled.

"You tried to talk her out of it, telling her she didn't have what it took, that it was a man's world. She challenged you to a boxing round", laughed Deacon.

Jim smiled. "What happened"?

"She whipped his ass, and he threw in the towel", said Deacon.

"I let her win".

"That's a bunch of crap and you know it", said Hondo. "Had she kept going, she would have knocked you out".

"Most probably", laughed Dom.

"Nonetheless, she showed you that she was tough enough".

"She sure did", answered Dom. "And she's earned the respect of Gang and Narc".

"She's come a long way from the Academy", said Deacon.

Dom nodded. "That's a good memory". He looked at Hondo. "What's your favorite memory with Emma"?

Hondo searched his mind.

"I guess it has to be that time in Cabo".

Deacon smiled. "That was some night".

"Details, please", said Chris.

"It was the five of us; Me, Emma, Dom, Deacon and Annie. We went to a bar and let's just say that I had a bit too much tequila".

"I think you're downsizing the drinking", said Dom.

"How would you know, you left with the brunette from the table next to ours"?

Victor nudged Dom jokingly.

"Deacon and Annie had left; Dom was off playing Casanova on the beach and I was in a really great mood and Emma stayed to make sure I got back to the house safely".

Dom looked at Jim. "And what you don't know, is that when he's in one of those moods, Hondo dances and he's got moves".

"I danced the entire fifteen-minute walk back to the house and Emma went along with it, dancing with me. She never judged me; she just went with the flow. She looked out for me. That's when I realized that she would always put other's first".

"Deacon"? asked Hondo.

Deacon thought. There were so many, he didn't know which one to choose. Then he remembered one.

"It must have been about a year ago. I went to one of the bars we hang out at from time to time. I'm at the bar, when this woman comes up to me and starts flirting with me big time and I'm not interested but she wouldn't stop. I'm thinking about being a bit blunter but before I can, she's telling me she's the Chief's daughter. She's got her hand on my thigh and her hand on my arm and I'm thinking, if the Chief finds out, I'm out of a job. And I couldn't be too direct either". He paused more a moment and smiled. "Suddenly, out of nowhere, I feel a soft, gentle hand place itself on the back of my neck and hear 'hey handsome, sorry I'm late'. At that moment in time, I have no idea who it is. Still with her hand on my neck, the girl walks around and places herself between me and the Chief's daughter, who's had no choice but to take her hands off me. It was Emma, I put my arm around her waist and smiled".

"No freaking way", said Jim.

Deacon nodded. "Except the girl gave us this look of doubt or disbelief. I mean I get it, what would Emma be doing with a guy like me, right? So, she's not buying into it". 

"So, what did you do"?

"Me? Nothing, I didn't know what to do. Emma being the undercover cop that she is, didn't let on anything, she placed her other hand around my neck and kissed me".

Dom raised an eyebrow. "My sister kissed you? How come I never heard this story"?

Deacon shrugged. "There was nothing to tell. The girl left the bar entirely, Emma told me I owed her one and she went back to her squad. I'm pretty sure she saved my career that night".

As Victor started to talk about his memory, Deacon's mind wandered to a completely different memory.

_**Flashback**_

_When Emma stepped out of Headquarters, it was early evening. She headed for the service car when she saw him, waiting of her, leaning against it. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a dark blue button-down shirt, black boots and sunglasses. He looked simply irresistible._

_She walked up to him and smiled. "Sergeant Kay"._

"_Detective Luca"._

_He looked at her. She too was wearing civilian clothes and looked beautiful. Her red spaghetti-strap top and tight fitted blue jeans enhanced her curves and the red open-toe wedge sandals added a subtle feminine touch. _

"_I'm surprised to see you around here; I thought the team was off today"._

"_We are"._

"_Then what brings you back to Headquarters when you could be enjoying some time doing things you can't do the rest of the time"?_

"_You"._

"_Me"?_

"_They're playing Fast and Furious at the park tonight. I know you're always up for a good action movie"._

_She smiled. "You know me too well"._

_He smiled back. _

"_Only thing is, I don't have my chair or beer"._

"_Not needed, I took care of everything"._

_He saw her look at the service car._

"_And, I'll even provide transportation"._

"_Sounds like excellent service"._

_Frank walked over to them. "Hey Deacon. How's it going man"?_

"_All good, Frank. You"?_

"_Got a couple of days off coming up. I'll be able to spend some time with the family, so you won't hear me complaining"._

_Frank looked at Emma. "You still taking the service car back and picking me up in the morning"?_

_She dug the car keys out of her back pocked and handed them over to Frank._

"_No, you take it and you pick me up this time around"._

"_Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow morning 6 o'clock sharp. Don't be late"._

_She laughed. "When have I ever been late? I'm always the one waiting for you either way"._

_Frank smiled and got behind the wheel of the service car._

_Deacon showed Emma over to his car._

_They drove towards the park and talked about different things. They parked and Deacon took out a bag and a cooler out of the trunk. She followed him as they headed past people already settled, until they got to the front row, where a cop was waiting. _

"_Thanks, Sam, appreciate you keeping the spot for me"._

"_Anytime Deacon". The cop looked at Emma and nodded. "Detective"._

"_Lieutenant", replied Emma with an echoing nod._

_Deacon opened the bag and placed a blanket over the grass. He placed the cooler on to one side and the bag on the other._

_They settled down._

"_Nice move, asking Lieutenant Donaldson to keep the best spot", said Emma once she was sitting on the blanket, Deacon next to her._

"_He owes me a few favors. Thought it would come in handy"._

_He opened the cooler and handed her a beer as the movie started._

_They were halfway into the movie when he realized that he hadn't seen much of it. Instead, he was looking at her. He had to admit, it was hard to pay attention as at times, their hands or shoulders touched. Out of the blue, Emma stuck her hand out, palm flat and looked up at the sky._

"_What is it"? asked Deacon._

"_I think I felt a raindrop"._

_Deacon looked up and realized that the stars, that had been visible earlier, had disappeared. Suddenly, the dam broke loose, and it started to pour._

"_Shit"! said Deacon as he and Emma rose instantaneously. They quickly grabbed the cooler, bag and blanket and hurried back towards the car._

_By the time they got in it, they were soaking wet but laughing._

"_Remind me to arrest the weatherman", said Deacon as he laughed and turned on the engine. "I'm sorry"._

_Instinctively, she placed her hand on his. "Not something you can control Deacon"._

_He looked at her hand placed over his and a feeling of warmth filled him._

"_I'll take you home", he said as she removed her hand and he put the car in gear._

_Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up the car, alongside the curb in front of her house. The temperature was still warm outside regardless of the rain, but Emma was cold from her soaking wet clothes and even though Deacon didn't say anything, she knew it must have been the same for him._

"_I've got an extra set of clothes Dom leaves here just in case, you should come in and change"._

_He looked at her, then at the house, between the trickles of rain on the window. "It's OK, I'll survive"._

"_Deacon, you live thirty minutes out, you're going to catch pneumonia. Besides, it wasn't really a suggestion"._

_He loved the way she could be bossy and still delicate about it. He turned the engine off and they ran towards her house._

_He'd been to her house once, when she had bought it a couple of years ago and had invited everyone to her house warming party._

_She dropped her house keys on the living room table and looked at him. "I'll go get the clothes and a set of fresh towels. You can take a shower if you want and during that time, I'll put your stuff in the dryer"._

"_You're sure"?_

"_Yeah. I'll be right back"._

_She disappeared down the hall and he headed for the bathroom, leaving the door open. He looked at himself in the mirror and then took off his shirt. Emma arrived a few minutes later and stopped in front of the bathroom door. She looked at him and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her eyes off him or his bare muscular chest. She had seen him shirtless before, at different pool parties either one of the team members had hosted, but this time it was different._

_She managed to remove her stare from it and took a few steps towards him. _

"_Here you go", she said as she handed over the pile of towels, clothes neatly folded atop of it._

"_Thanks", he said as he took them from her and placed them on the bathroom counter top._

_She watched frozen, unwilling to go, unable to leave._

_Taking a step in her direction, he filled the void between them. She watched as his eyes searched hers and his hand gently grabbed one of the straps of her top, that had fallen off her shoulder and placed it back. The contact of his hand touching her skin, made her shiver._

"_Are you cold"? he asked gently, his hand still resting on the side of her shoulder._

"_No", she whispered._

_He let his hand trail up her collar bone and then her neck, his eyes never leaving hers. Following her instinct, she placed her hand on his flank. As she did so, he momentarily closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he gently pulled her face towards his. His lips found hers and sent a surge of energy throughout his body. He waited to see if she was going to pull away, but instead, she shifted her hand from his flank to his back and pulled herself into him as she parted her lips._

_He opened his and gave an invisible and mute sigh of relief when their tongues met halfway. At first it was gentle then it became more intense. He put his arms around her, and she dug her second hand in his hair._

_He pulled away and she stared at him, panicked that he'd changed his mind. He grabbed the hem of her top and gently lifted it over her head, as she raised her arms in response._

_He kissed her neck as he unhooked her black lace bra. He removed it and kissed her breasts, taking his time as she caressed his back and moaned from pleasure. He removed her jeans and black lace tanga and his eyes lit up as he looked over her amazing naked body._

_He lifted her up and sat her down on the counter top. He removed his jeans and boxer shorts and placed himself between her legs. He resumed kissing her as they let each other's hands discover the other's body. _

_In one swift move, he lifted her gently and placed his hands on her derriere. He hoisted her on his hips and still kissing her, walked out of the bathroom towards the bedroom. _

_They took turns pleasuring each other and making love repeatedly over the course of the night. As they climaxed together, screaming out each other's name, both realized, that they had crossed an invisible boundary that neither one of them regretted or wanted to take back. _

_Deacon woke up to the sound of the shower running. He looked at his watch. It was 5 in the morning. He smiled playing over in his head the night before. He walked into the bathroom and looked at her a few seconds, as the water slid off her naked body. He entered the shower and joined her._

"_Good morning", he said as he planted a kiss on her neck._

_She turned around and smiled. She placed her arms around his neck, and they kissed passionately. "Good morning"._

"_Emma last night was beyond anything I've felt before". He was worried that she didn't feel the same._

_She smiled as she let her hand caress his cheek._

"_I feel the same way Deacon"._

_As she could read people well, due to her profiling background, she could tell that he was anxious._

"_You're afraid, I'm going to tell you it was a mistake and that it was a one-time thing"?_

_He cocked his head to the side, only partly surprised, but kept a firm face._

"_Deacon, I'm not like that. I don't get involved with men, just for the sake of having a one-night stand. My feelings for you have grown way over what I ever imagined they would"._

"_Why didn't you say anything", he said as he caressed her back._

"_You've been through a lot, with Annie, the divorce, the custody issues, I guess, I felt it wasn't the right time and that if it was meant to happen, it would"._

_He nodded in understanding. "I appreciate it and I guess I can say the same. There's been one thing holding me back"._

_She smiled at him. "Dom"?_

_He nodded. "He's my friend, we work together, we're brothers in arms"._

"_Deacon, I don't want this to end before it's even started. I want more out of this. I want to see where it takes us. So, let's just focus on that. Let's leave SWAT and Dom out of I for now, until we know where this is going"._

_It was reassuring to him to see that they both felt the same way. After having made love to her, they had gotten dressed and she had made them breakfast. It was so new, so fresh and yet it felt right to him. He knew it was pretentious of him, but he could project himself in an amazing future with her._

"_I should get going," she said as she looked at her watch, "Frank will be here any minute"._

"_Yeah, me too". _

_They walked out together just as Frank stopped the service car behind Deacon's. _

_Deacon shot a furtive glance toward Frank sitting in the service car. "You think I can tell you goodbye properly"? _

_Emma smiled. "I've got dirt on Frank, he won't blab"._

"_Come here", said Deacon as he took Emma in his arms and kissed her. "I'll call you later"._

"_You'd better", she said smiling and kissed him. "Be safe"._

"_You too"._

_They both walked over to their respective cars. Deacon was the first to leave under Frank's amused smile._

"_What"? said Emma as she raised an eyebrow in his direction._

"_Looks like someone had a nice evening"._

_Emma couldn't help but smile, then she gave him a serious look. "I'd appreciate it, if this stayed between us for the time being"._

"_You're worried about Dom"?_

"_Worried? No. I just don't need anyone meddling, at least not until I'm sure where this is going. When the time is right, I'll tell Dom"._

_**End flashback**_


	9. Chapter 9

The hours dragged on and with it worry and uncertainty settled in. They all tried to keep themselves busy, away from worst case scenarios, but it was getting harder and harder.

They all stood as two surgeons walked into the ER waiting room.

"Sergeant Luca"? asked one of them.

"Yes"? said Dom as his heart started racing.

"She's stable. The surgery went well. We were able to stop the internal bleeding and remove both bullets. There shouldn't be any permanent damage".

Dom gave a sigh of relief as Hondo patted his shoulder. "Can we see her"?

"Of course, we'll have Janet show you to her room. She's still recovering so try to keep the visits to a minimum for the time being".

Dom shook the surgeons' hands. "Thank you so much, for everything".

They stopped in front of the glass sliding door and looked at Emma. She was still pale. Bruises and cuts covered her arms and face. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be peaceful.

Dom slid the door open and closed it behind him. He sat beside her bed as Deacon looked from behind the window. He was longing to be near her, to hold her in his arms. The last time he had held her in his arms, she was dead, and he needed to replace that.

Emma stirred and looked at Dom.

"Hey Champ. How you feeling"?

"Alive".

"You gave us quite a scare you know that? If it wasn't for Deacon, you wouldn't be here right now".

Emma looked beyond Dom at the glass door and her eyes connected with Deacon's.

"He got to your first, performed CPR and brought you out to safety".

His phone buzzed and he looked at it. "Dad's downstairs. I'll go get him".

He stood and looked at her.

"Deacon", she said softly.

Dom nodded. "Of course, I'll get him".

Dom met up with the others and looked at Deacon. "She's asking for you".

As Deacon started walking towards the glass door, Dom stopped him and took him in his arms in a brotherly accolade. "You saved her, I am ever so grateful, man. I don't know what I would have done if we'd lost her".

Deacon nodded. He knew that losing her would never have been something he could have lived with either. The past months they'd had together, had been unbelievable, and he'd reached a place in his heart and mind, where he couldn't imagine life without her.

When Dom let go of him, Deacon entered the room and walked over to her and sat down next to her, on the bed. He wanted to kiss her, caress her bruised face, but he knew it wasn't the time or the place to come out in the open about their relationship.

"Hey beautiful".

Her chin started to tremble, and her eyes filled up with tears as they searched his and he could tell that she too was torn with what her emotions and body yearned for; the human touch of the one you love. Deacon took her in his arms and rocked Emma, comforting her.

"I love you", he whispered in her ear.


	10. Chapter 10

Over the course of the following week, Dom and his father took turns in keeping Emma company during the day. Deacon and the others would stop by before or after their shifts and it brightened up her day. She was getting stronger and recovering well physically. Emotionally, things were a bit harder.

The therapist that had been assigned had made her relive the events of that day at every session. It was part of the healing process, so he told her. The objective was for her to talk about that day without breaking down emotionally. Getting over the physical pain she had endured had been the easiest part, the hardest, was coming to terms with the fact that she had died and so had Frank. The only difference was that she was there to talk about it and not him. They had been partners for a couple of years, and they had always looked out for each other and it was hard to let go of the guilt she felt. No matter whom she spoke to about it, they made it crystal clear that is wasn't her fault, that she'd had no control over the situation and that in a twist of fate, the outcome could have been the other way around. Placing herself in that situation, she knew she wouldn't want Frank to have felt guilty. That was the job they had signed up for, they had known the risks.

Ken had agreed to wait until she was out of the hospital to debrief on what had happened and that too would be part of the healing process. The case would be closed off and put away in an archive box. She dreaded the debrief because she knew that the elements she would bring forward, would indicate that Frank had been the cause of their undercover mission going sour. It had been a simple mistake, a rookie mistake on his behalf and in the end, he had paid the ultimate price. It seemed almost inhumane to throw it back in his face, but with IA involved, her union rep, had advised her to tell the truth. She knew that when the time would come, it would be what she would do, but not only did she not want his wife and kids to know, but she wanted to make sure that he got the proper memorial service, for his years of hard work and dedication.

Finally, after what seemed like the longest and slowest week in her life ever, the doctor finally gave the green light for Emma to return home. Dom walked in as she stood, dressed, in front of the mirror. Most of the bruises on her body had diminished and could go without being seen underneath her clothes. Dom watched as she passed her finger on her neck, outlining the still visible, yet lessened mark of her strangulation.

"How about we get you out of here"? he said as he handed her a light spring scarf.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness and gesture and took the scarf and gently tied it around her neck. As she did so, a flash of the cable tie came into her mind. She paused for a second, closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, as the therapist had taught her.

"Maybe not so much a good idea. I'm sorry Em, I should have been more careful".

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "It's all good Dom".

Dom pulled up the car in front of her house and helped her out of the car, up the porch and to the front door. When they walked in, the smell of flowers filled the living room. Dozens of bouquets were placed around the room as well as get well cards, that had been sent by colleagues. The house was quiet, and she was relieved that no 'welcome home' party had been organized. She was exhausted and drained, just from walking from the car to the house, she was in no physical condition to have guests.

He dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs and looked at his watch. "I need to head back to HQ. Dad should be here in a half an hour".

"I'm good. I'm going to go rest. You should go".

He took her in his arms and kissed her on the forehead.

"Do me a favor, call Dad and tell him he doesn't need to come".

"Emma…".

"Dom, I'm exhausted, all I want to do is sleep and if Dad is here, he'll hover over me and it won't help".

"Alright, I'll stop by tonight".

"Out of the question. You have put your life on hold long enough. Eventually, life needs to get back to the way it was before. So, you are going to do me a favor, you are going to call Janet, whose shift ends at 6, and you are going to take her out to dinner".

He looked at her puzzled.

"What? You think I didn't see how you two interacted at the hospital? I was in a glass room, in case you forgot. That spark is still there, Dom. Take it from me, life is too short for you to miss out on the important things".

"Are you sure? What about you"?

"I bet there's a bunch of brought over homemade dishes in the fridge to last me a month, I'm sure I'll find something to heat up".

"Ok", said Dom. "You're the boss. If you need anything, you call me. Promise"?

"I promise. Now go and get the bad guys. There has to be at least one Luca out there cleaning up the streets".

Dom nodded, kissed her again and walked out of the house.

"How's Emma"? asked Victor as Dom joined the team in the command center.

"Ok but tired. I think she needs rest and quiet. She even told me to cancel my dad taking over for me today".

"No offense to your dad, Dom, but does tend to hover", said Hondo with a joking smile on his face.

"Hey, she's his only daughter, I get he's over protective of her. You know what that's like, right, Deac"?

"Sure do. I dread the day she'll bring home her first boyfriend. I think I'll be waiting shotgun in hand".

They all laughed.

"I still can't believe he let her become a cop", replied Chris.

"Whoever said he had been for it. But I guess the pride of her following in the family tradition took over his fear".

"And he's got every right to be proud, and so do you, she's one of the best and you know I'm not just saying that because she's your sister", said Hondo.

Jess walked in. "We've got an armed robbery going down, possibly looking at multiple hostages".

"It's the end of the month, people are cashing in or depositing their checks", said Deacon.

"Alright", said Hondo, "everybody gear up. Let's make sure these honest hard-working people make it home to their loved ones tonight"!


	11. Chapter 11

Emma woke up as she bolted in a sitting position. Beads of sweat were trickling down her face and neck and she was breathing heavily from the realism of her nightmare. The room was dark. She turned on the side lamp and looked at the time. It was almost ten. She had slept most of the afternoon, but she was more exhausted than if she hadn't slept at all.

She got out of bed, grabbed a t-shirt, a pair of shorts and headed for the bathroom. She showered quickly, trying to remove any physical sign of her nightmare. Once, she was done, she dressed and headed outside and sat down on the patio swing. She pulled her knees up to her chest and stared out in the quiet of the night.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see the car pull up alongside the curb nor the driver get out and walk up the patio stairs. He looked at her for a moment.

"Emma"?

She blinked a couple of times they turned her head in his direction and he saw her eyes fill with tears.

"Deacon", she said in a trembling voice.

In one step he was reached the patio swing and sat down next to her. He took her in his arms as the dam broke loose. It was as if she'd been holding all of it in, only allowing herself to break in his presence, maybe because she knew that he'd be strong enough to handle it and because she felt safe in his arms.

"I don't think I can do this", she said between sobs.

He kissed her hair. "You are not alone. I'm here and I will help you get through this, no matter what or how long it takes. I'm not going anywhere. I love you".

They remained like that for a while until she calmed down and her breathing became more regular. He gently pulled away from her and kissed her.

"You don't have to be strong right now. No one expects you to. Lean on me, Emma, let me be your rock, your lighthouse in the storm".

She nodded and laid her head down on his chest. He could tell she was exhausted and strained. He very cautiously pushed her away and stood. He then put his arm around her and lifted her in his arms cradling her as he brought her inside.

Hondo parked the car, not without noticing Deacon's parked in front of his. It was early and he had wanted to stop by and see how Emma was doing.

He rang the doorbell and waited.

Deacon opened the door and looked at Hondo.

Hondo smiled. "I guess we both had the same idea".

Deacon simply nodded and let Hondo inside.

"How is she"?

"Worse off than she'd admit. You know how she is. Stubborn and proud".

At that moment Emma entered the living room and walked over to Hondo.

He hugged her. "How are you doing, Baby Girl"? he asked.

She pressed her lips together. "Somewhere near rock bottom".

"You know what they say, after that, the only way is up. You'll get there when you're ready".

She gave him a weak smile. "Don't tell Dom. He's taken enough leave of absence and his head needs to be in the game. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me".

"As SWAT leader, I find that noble. As your friend, I want to make sure you get all the support you need".

She nodded and was thankful for all the support she was getting, from the team, from her colleagues, Dom and Deacon.

Hondo and Deacon's phone beeped, and they looked at it.

"I wish I could have stayed longer", said Hondo. "Deacon let's go".

"I'm right behind you", he said as Hondo walked out of the house.

Deacon walked up to her. "You're going to be okay? I can take the day off".

She smiled at him. "I'm good. I've got an appointment with the therapist", she shot a glance towards the front door that was ajar. "I'm not ready to start answering questions about us".

He knew she was right. Not knowing how Dom or any of the others would react to them being together might only bring on more stress and she didn't need that.

He too shot a furtive glance towards the door as he heard Hondo's car door close.

He leaned in and kissed her.

"Go. Whatever it is, whoever they are, they need you more than I do".

She watched as he grabbed his jacket and hurried out the door. She heard both drive off and headed to the bedroom to get ready.

"Alright", said Hondo as they drove over to their designated location. "We've got an ex-husband who's barricaded himself, his ex-wife and their 5-year-old daughter, inside the family home. Negotiations are underway but they're not getting anywhere. They've asked us to go in".

"What do we know about him"? asked Jim.

"Not much, except that his ex-wife filed a restraining order against him a year ago, due to harassment and stalking".

"Any indication that he could be violent"? asked Chris.

"Not that we know of, but that doesn't mean he can't become violent. He says he's armed, but we have no idea as to how. The plan is to enter through the different entry points of the house simultaneously and quietly, and, neutralize him before he's had a chance of hurting anyone"!

As they reached the house, they put their helmets on, armed their rifles and got out of the truck. They headed to their designated locations and waited for Hondo's green light.

Chris and Victor entered through the front door and secured the living room and hallway. "Clear".

Deacon and Jim entered through the kitchen back door and secured the kitchen and dining room. "Clear".

"Garage and basement clear", said Dom as he and Hondo headed up the stairs to the main floor of the house. They all gathered at the bottom of the stairs heading up. Hondo motioned with his hand to go up. When they reached the upstairs hallway, he pointed three fingers to the right. Chris, Deacon and Jim headed in that direction while the three others went in the opposite one.

Deacon put his fist up, stopping. "Hondo, I've got a visual on the kid. She's alone playing in her room".

Hondo frowned. "He's not here for the kid but his ex-wife. Get her out to safety, we'll handle the father".

"Copy that", replied Deacon as he put his rifle down and walked slowly into the little girl's room.

When Hondo reached the end of the hallway, he saw around the corner, through the bedroom door that was ajar, the ex-husband pointing his gun at his ex-wife all the while looking out the window. The wife was bleeding from her lip and was crying.

"Dom give me a flash bomb".

Dom handed him one. Hondo turned his head again around the corner and the wife caught a glimpse of him. He placed his finger over his lips, indicating to her to not divulge their presence. He then removed the safety clip and tossed the stun grenade into the bedroom. When it went off, the ex-husband let go of his gun and stumbled to the ground. They ran inside. Dom helped the woman up and out of the room while Victor pinned the guy down and handcuffed him.

They watched as the mother and daughter were put in the back of the ambulance and taken away to the nearest hospital whereas the ex-husband was taken into custody in a patrol car.

A couple of miles away from there, Emma was extremely angry as she stared down the therapist, she'd been seeing twice a week since she had been in the hospital.

"I don't see the point of going over and over again what happened"!

"These nightmares that you're having will not stop until you can talk about what happened to you that day without getting emotional. Emmaline, this is part of the healing process".

She narrowed her eyes.

"Now, tell me again what happened, tell me what you felt, what you feel"!

"Pain! I was beaten into as if I was a punching bag or a dead piece of meat hanging from the ceiling. Every part of my body ached, like I never felt in my entire life".

"Good, keep going. What next"?

"Fear that I couldn't show, so that he couldn't get the upper hand".

"Fear of what"?

Her chin started to tremble.

"Fear of what Emmaline"?

"Dying! I was scared to die, OK"?!

"What else"?

Anger and guilt".

"Why"?

"I was angry at Frank for compromising us and then when I woke up in that hospital room, all I felt was guilt, because I survived".

The therapist cocked his head to the side. "You think you didn't deserve to live"?

She shook her head and tears rolled down the side of her face. "Neither one of us deserved to die".

The therapist nodded as he handed her a tissue. "I know this is hard but the more you talk about it, the easier and the better it's going to be. It's like defusing a bomb, cutting wire after wire, eventually when all the wires will have been cut off, it won't explode".

"Why won't the pain stop"? she asked him desperately.

"Because feeling pain, reminds your body and your subconscious, that you're alive. When you're dead, you feel nothing, you're numb inside. Right now, your body is in survival mode and by continuing these sessions, we're going to reboot your body so that it no longer needs the pain to convince itself that you're alive".

As she sat in her father's car, on her way home, looking out the window, she realized that to a lot of people, what he had told her was a bunch of shrink crap, but as odd as it seemed, things were starting to make more sense to her. In the end, why did people hurt themselves? Simply to see if they still felt. Because once you stop feeling, you may as well be dead.

She had been given a second chance and she wasn't going to let it go to vain. She would surmount this ordeal. For Frank, for Dom, for Deacon and for herself. She was a Luca and Lucas fought back in the face of adversity, they didn't back down!


	12. Chapter 12

**Two months later**

Deacon watched attentively as Emma put her police badge on her belt and holstered her gun. It was going to be her first day back on the job and he was concerned. Her therapist had given his green light and filled in his report to the commission, but he knew that Emma hadn't set foot in HQ since that fatal assignment. It was one thing to talk about things, to process emotions in a controlled environment but there were going to be plenty of triggers at HQ and he hoped that Emma was going to be strong enough to face them.

He headed to the kitchen and served himself a cup of coffee as she finished getting ready. His phone rang and he took the call.

"Hey Dom, what's up"?

"You know I feel really shitty about this, but I was over at Janet's last night and the traffic is awful. I don't want Emma to arrive at HQ and not see a friendly face. You think I could ask you to be there when she gets there"?

Deacon smiled. "Yeah sure, don't worry about it, I'll be there".

"I appreciate it brother and I owe you one".

"You don't owe me anything. We're family, we stick together".

"I'll see you when I get there".

Deacon ended the call as Emma joined him. He took an empty cup and served her a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

"Everything alright"? she asked him, seeing him smile.

"That was your Casanova of a brother".

She raised an eyebrow and looked at her watch. "Let me guess, he stayed over at Janet's and he's stuck in traffic".

"You know him too well. He asked that I be there when you get to HQ, something about seeing a friendly face".

She walked up to him and took the cup of coffee from him, placed it on the counter and put her arms around his neck. "A friendly face, huh? No, Sergeant Kay, a very sexy face".

He planted a kiss on her lips. "I'm going to find it very difficult to not walk into that office of yours and kiss you".

She tilted her head to the side. "We've managed so far Deacon".

"I know", he replied as he looked her in the eyes. "but I almost lost you and I want to make sure that every chance I get with you is showing and reminding you that I love you. I'm not taking any of this for granted".

She placed a loving hand on his cheek. "I know. I love you too and I want to be with you, so I've done a lot of thinking this past week".

His eyes narrowed.

"I've decided, and I hope you're alright with it, because if you're not than we can wait, but I think it's time we tell Dom and the others".

He smiled. "Are you sure"?

"I'm more than sure. But there's something else".

"I'm listening".

"Move in with me, or maybe we can get a bigger place, a place that's ours. The place doesn't matter, I just want you to be the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see, when I go to sleep".

"My sexy face you mean"?

She nudged him amused. "Amongst other parts of you, I find really sexy".

"Like what"?

"Just answer the question".

"Emma, there is nothing more that would make me happier than to be with you. So, let's move in together".

He kissed her again then she leaned into his ear and whispered. "Good answer, later on tonight, I'll show you what other parts of you I find really sexy".

Hondo looked at his watch.

"What's up boss"? asked Jim.

"It's Emma's first day back on the job, we thought we'd give her an appropriate welcome back and show her out support".

"Where are Dom and Deacon"? asked Victor.

"Dom is running late but he asked Deacon to wait for Emma outside of HQ. They should be here any minute. Let's go".

They walked out of the command center and waited in the hallway near the entrance door.

Emma and Deacon walked towards the building. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. He stopped and turned around to look at her. He walked back to her side.

"Emma, if it's too soon, you can take more time off".

She took a deep breath and looked at him, with the determination he had often seen in her over the years.

"I'm fine. I just need a minute".

He nodded. "You want me to wait with you"?

"No, it's OK. I just need to visualize every step of the way and assess and disarm the triggers as they come".

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You've got this and if you need anything, you know that we're only a few hallways down".

He headed inside and met up with the others.

"Where's Emma"? asked Chris.

"She's going to need a minute. I think it's harder than she had planned it would be".

Emma looked at the building again, took a deep breath and headed for the doors.

"Emma"!

She turned around and saw Dom running in her direction. He took her in his arms and hugged her.

"Where's Deacon? He told me he'd be here".

"He was. I just needed a moment alone. But I'm ready to go in now".

"Emma, just remember, a step at a time, a day at a time".

"I know Dom. If I can survive today, then I can get through the others".

When they walked in, she saw the team and smiled. They took turns hugging her.

"You guys didn't have to".

"Are you kidding"? said Hondo. "There's nowhere we'd rather be right now".

She smiled. "Alright, get out of here before I start crying my eyes out from all the love"!

They nodded and left.

"Hey sis"?

"Yeah"?

"I'm not sure it's the right time to talk about it but Dad called me last night".

"Yeah, I saw I had a missed call from him, but I went to bed early last night. Anything important"?

"It's that time of the year again".

Emma closed her eyes and reopened them. "His annual Police Commission party".

"Yep. And he wants us there".

"Of course, he does".

"It's black tie as always and I'm going to bring Janet with me".

Emma smiled. "Sounds serious".

"I think things are moving in the right direction, just a bit tough sometimes with our contradicting shifts".

"You know what dad would say".

"There are no problems, only solutions. Yeah, I know".

"So, anyway", said Dom. "Dad needs a final headcount for the party tomorrow night, as soon as possible".

"Sure, I'll let him know, for the both of us".

"Really? You won't mind confirming Janet and me"?

"Absolutely not a problem".

He planted a kiss on her cheek. "You are a lifesaver. Love you", he said as he walked away.

Emma looked down the hallway. Trigger one had been the parking lot. Trigger two had been the building. Now, it was going to be walking into that division and finding most probably someone else sitting at Frank's desk. It would be for the time being the hardest of triggers to neutralize. She knew that no one would ever replace Frank, nor would she ever forget him, but she had to move on, just as she would have wanted him to do if they'd been in reversed roles. She took one last deep breath in and out and pushed the door of Narc open and stepped inside.

Later that afternoon as the team returned from the field, Emma walked into the command center. Panic settled in.

"Sergeant Kay, I was hoping you'd have a few minutes for me, to go over a deposition you made in a Narc case last week"?

They all gave a sigh of relief.

"Sure thing, Detective Luca".

Jim leaned over the console and laughed as Deacon joined Emma and they walked away.

"What"? said Hondo.

"I don't know, it's just funny to see such formality between them".

"Emma is a rank 3 Detective, that's a rank higher up than Deacon and I".

"No shit".

Dom joined them. "What are we talking about"?

"Nothing, I just realized that your sister is more kickass than you are".

"Yeah and we're proud of that. You'd better behave Street".

Emma and Deacon stopped when they were in the alone in the hallway. He kept a reasonable distance even though at that precise moment, it was hard to.

"Everything OK"?

"Yeah. We'll take about it later".

"So, it's really about a case".

"No. My dad is having his annual Police Commission Gala tomorrow night. I was hoping you'd join me".

His eyes lit up. Regardless of what she was going through today at work, she still confirmed her wish to make their relationship known.

"It would be an honor. Ceremony attire"?

"No, but it is black tie".

"I can handle that. But I'm curious, why talk about this here, we could have talked about it tonight"?

She smiled. "I need to confirm with my dad before tonight and I know my brother can be curious when it comes to text messages".

Deacon smiled. It was true that sometimes Dom like sticking his nose in other's lives but it was never in a rude way or intentionally, he was just curious.

"I should get back", she said.

"Me too. Emma"?

"Yes"?

"Just tell me that you're OK"?

"It's hard, but I'm holding on".

"In case, I don't tell you later, I'm proud of you".

"I know", she said as she nodded. "I'll see you later".


	13. Chapter 13

Deacon parked the car in front of Emma's house. He had gone back to his place to get dressed after their shift had been over. He unlocked the front door with his set of keys and let himself in. Soft music was playing in the background and as he walked into the living room, Emma emerged from the bedroom.

She was stunning. She was wearing a dark navy, A-line one shoulder floor length tulle dress with beaded lace and her hair was in a low ponytail. She literally took his breath away. She looked at him and smiled as she met him.

"You look very handsome", she said as she looked him over. He was wearing a traditional black suit, white button-down shirt, black tie and a white pocket square. It was a winning classic but not something she had seen him wear often over the years they'd known each other.

"And you, are breath-takingly beautiful".

She blushed and it warmed his heart to know that after so many months, he could still make her blush. There had always been this humbleness about her on all levels. Whether it was work related or in her private life, she always saw herself as average, which she was far from being the cased. He loved that about her.

They kissed and then she headed over to the dining room table to grab her clutch bag. They walked out of the house and settled down in his car on route to Santa Clarita Valley.

When they pulled up in front of 15435 Live Oak Springs Canyon Road, the road was packed with cars. There was a valet parking organized and Emma knew that the big Police Commission big shots had been dropped off by private chauffeurs. They parked a little further down the road and when they reached the front door, he looked at her.

"Are you sure you're ready for this"?

"I've never been surer or more ready about anything", she said as she took his hand in her left and rang the doorbell.

The door opened revealing one of the maids in a very formal attire.

"Miss Emma" said the maid smiling at her.

"Good evening Lupita. Como esta"?

Lupita was in her mid-fifties and had been Emma's favorite house helper for the past thirty years.

"Muy bien. Y tu"?

"Si, estoy bien".

Had it been any other day, the two women would have hugged but this was a formal get together and both knew their place.

"Lupita, te presento a mi novio, Sargento David Kay. El trabajo con Dom en SWAT".

"David, this is Lupita".

Lupita smiled. "Mucho gusto en conocerte".

"Yo Tambien", replied Deacon, "Emma habla mucho de ti".

Lupita nodded touched. "Your father is in the garden, with the other guests".

"Have Dom and Janet arrived"? she asked as Lupita closed the door.

"Yes, a couple of minutes ago".

Emma greeted the rest of the house helpers they crossed on their way outside. When they walked through the open French doors, that gave on the back of the property, they seemed to set foot in another world. There were plenty of people, laughing, talking, drinking and eating. Everyone was dressed up for the occasion and they quickly caught sight of some of LAPD's highest-ranking members as well as some of the Police Commission members. Unless accompanied by Commission or high-ranking LAPD, Dom, Emma and Deacon would be the lowest in rank. But that was not an issue for any one of them, they'd been to other gatherings before where it had been the case and once the booze started flowing, it was impressive to notice how ranks seemed to disappear.

Janet was standing at one of the high tables set up throughout the property. She smiled and waved as she saw Emma and Deacon.

"Why don't I get us something to drink"? said Deacon.

"Alright, I'll go join Janet and find out where Dom is".

Deacon nodded, let go of Emma's hand and watched as she walked over to Janet's table, all the while stopping and shaking hands with people along the way.

Janet hugged and looked at her. "You look beautiful".

"Thank you and you look gorgeous". It wasn't just a polite reciprocated compliment; it was the truth. Most of the time, Janet was in scrubs and here, wearing a red off the shoulder mermaid dress, she was simply stunning.

Janet gave her a side smile. "Sergeant Kay, nice choice for tonight's plus one".

Emma gave her a broad smile. "He's more than just tonight's plus one".

"I figured that much seeing you walk in together. The way you two came in hand in hand, looking at each other".

"That obvious, huh"?

"Oh yeah". She cocked her head to the side. "Dom, didn't mention it, so I guess he doesn't know".

"Not yet and I'm not exactly sure how he's going to take it".

"Sweetie, your brother loves Deacon, he has a lot of respect for him and knows he's a good man".

"Yeah, that's SWAT member talk, I hope he'll think the same knowing he's dating his sister".

"Two champagnes, please", said Deacon as he reached the bar.

"Two here too, please".

The two men looked at each other.

"Deac"?

"Dom".

Dom gave him a brotherly hug. "What are you doing here? No, dumb question. Let me guess, you, my brother, have met someone in the Police Commission. A very good looking and smart someone".

Deacon laughed. "You have no idea. She's all that and so much more".

"I knew it. You've been happy these past months, I had my suspicions that a certain woman was behind this. Can't wait to meet her! Hey, speaking of meeting people, have you seen Emma around"?

"Actually, I have. She's talking with Janet".

They took their champagne flutes and walked away.

"You know, my dad mentioned that Emma has a plus one. I'm curious as to who this is. I mean, is he a cop, not a cop? Is this a casual plus one or is there more to it"?

He caught Deacon eyeing him trying not to laugh.

"Not that it matters, I mean as long as she's happy. After everything that happened to her, she deserves it. I just would hate it if this guy is not a good guy, you know? And what if he and I have nothing in common"?

"I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself Dom".

Emma took a deep breath in, as she saw Dom and Deacon walk towards their table.

"Hey sis", said Dom as he handed Janet her glass and hugged Emma, while Deacon said hi to Janet. "You look amazing".

"And you clean up real nice, Dom. I'm sure Dad is more than happy to see you dressed like this".

"Sure. I just can't tell you how long I'm going to keep this tie on, it's already starting to bug me".

He then turned his attention to Deacon who was still holding both champagne flutes in his hand.

"So, brother, who is the lucky mystery woman who has managed to get you happy and smiling again".

Deacon handed Emma her champagne flute.

"You're looking at her", replied Deacon smiling as he put his arm around Emma's waist and pulled her closer.

Janet, Emma and Deacon looked at Dom, waiting to see his reaction.

Dom looked at Deacon, then at Emma. There was something about their proximity that was different, and he understood that it was serious.

"Are you freaking serious"?! said Dom halfway between a doubtful and a happy face.

Emma smiled and nodded.

Dom smiled whole-heartedly and walked over to them. He took Deacon again in a huge brotherly accolade. He then hugged Emma.

"This is some of the best news, I've had in a while", said Dom as he went back and took Janet in his arms. "We're both very lucky men".

"I'll drink to that", said Deacon as he raised his glass.

"That being said", replied Dom, "you break her heart and I'll kill you".

"Ain't no chance that's going to happen", said Deacon very seriously and he meant it.

"There they are"!

They all turned around and saw Carl walking up to them, a glass of champagne in hand.

When Carl reached them, he noticed Deacon's arm around Emma. He said nothing but raised an eyebrow.

"Good evening, Dad", said Emma.

"Good evening sweetheart. Don't you look lovely"?

He then turned his attention to Deacon. "David, how nice to see you. It's been a while".

Deacon removed his arm from around Emma's waist and shook hands with Carl. "Good evening Mr. Luca. Yes, it has".

Carl smiled. "Although it may appear as though we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on".

Deacon smiled back "I'm counting on it, Sir".

"Good. You, Dom and I should have a drink together later".

"Of course,"

"Good evening, Commissioner", said Emma as Commissioner Plank joined them.

"Detective Luca, it's a pleasure to see you, as always. I'm glad to hear that you're back to full duty".

"Yes sir, so am I".

"What you did for your partner was exemplary. Our mistakes should not define who we are".

"Thank you".

A couple of hours later after mingling and talking, Emma watched as her father lead Dom, Deacon and some others to his private office for cognac and cigars. Janet laughed amused.

"Is it always like this"?

"Oh yeah, pretty much how the evening winds down. It's a bit archaic if you ask me but it's become a tradition".

"You think your father is going to give Deacon a hard time"?

Emma laughed. "Probably. It's going to be very much like an interrogation where my father is going to ask Deacon what his intentions are".

Janet raised an eyebrow. "Talk about archaic"!

"How are things with Dom"?

"Good. You know I think that we've managed to wrinkle out the issues we had in the past and for the moment it's smooth sailing".

"I'm glad. I can tell he's happy. If he breaks your heart, I'll kill him".

They both laughed.

Suddenly, Emma's phone beeped in her clutch. She pulled it out and narrowed her eyes.

"What is it"? asked Janet.

"There's a hostage situation at a club that's known to be the underground operations for drug swaps. I need to go".

As she walked back into the house towards the staircase, she met up with Dom and Deacon who were stepping out of her dad's office.

"We got a call", said Dom.

"I know. So, did I", said Emma. She looked at Deacon. "Go, I'll meet you guys there".

Deacon handed over his car keys to her and kissed her.


	14. Chapter 14

Less than twenty minutes later, Emma arrived on site, changed into more appropriate clothing, and headed for the command truck.

She walked over to Captain Kwan. "Captain? What do we have"?

"Thanks for getting here so quickly and I'm sorry for removing you from your father's party".

"Don't you worry about that. 95% of tonight's guest were LAPD, they know the drill".

He looked at the screen.

"We've got one suspect holding four civilians, hostage. Suspect is Marvin Davis".

"MD? Are you sure"?

"We got him on the surveillance camera recording. We're trying to communicate but he's not engaging".

"Are any of the hostages wounded"?

"We managed to speak to some of the people who got out, but it's a night club, it's dark, they couldn't tell. But they confirmed that shots were fired".

"Do we know who the owner of this club is"?

"Rosario Hernandez. He's not on the premises".

Emma raised an eyebrow. Hernandez used to be Lopez' right hand but he had taken his own business away from the Cubanistos.

She then looked at the suspect file and shook her head.

"What is it"? asked Ken.

"I know Marvin, he was trying to get out of all this mess, he was doing it for his mom. None of this makes sense".

"The mother died last month".

"I guess he feels he doesn't have a reason to anymore".

Jess walked in. "SWAT is five minutes out".

"Good. I'll try to talk to Marvin".

When SWAT arrived, they headed for the command truck to speak with Cortez and passed Emma along the way who was heading outside with a cell phone.

"I told you man, I ain't talking to no one, so stop calling".

"Marvin? It's Detective Luca. How's it going in there"?

"I don't know", she heard him answer.

"Are you hurt? Is anyone hurt or in need of medical attention"?

Mumford looked at Kwan. "Since when do we ask a suspect if he's hurt"?

"Because it makes him feel important. Detective Luca is one of the best negotiators I've come across. Besides, she knows this kid. Don't undermine her".

"I'm OK, but in the chaos of it all, I shot someone and she doesn't look too good".

"I understand, Marvin. Look, this situation is not going to get any easier, you know that. I need you to work with me, you think you can do that"?

"What do you mean"?

"Why don't you let the injured person go"?

"I can't do that".

"I get it, they are your ticket out alive. I'll take her place".

"And then what"?

"You and I keep talking, just as we are doing now. I want to make sure that things don't get out of hand, Marvin".

There was silence for a while.

"Ok. But just her".

She turned around and headed back inside the command truck.

"We've got one wounded hostage, he's willing to let her go".

They all watched as she removed her gun from the holster and place it down on the table.

Deacon narrowed his eyes as Dom and the others looked at her. Ken, didn't need to ask, he knew. He'd been her Captain for the past couple of years and he knew how she handled things.

"What are you doing"? asked Dom.

"I'm trading places with the hostage".

"I object to you going in there", said Dom.

"I second that motion", said Deacon.

Both men looked at each other and nodded.

"I'm not asking you for your opinion or approval. I'm going in and that's not negotiable", replied Emma.

Hondo looked at Jess and she tilted her head to the side. In the end, this was also a Narc issue and if they could handle it without the intervention of SWAT they needed to try.

"Captain Kwan, with all due respect, we've got a hostage situation, an armed suspect and already one hurt hostage. I say we go in, let's not complicate things", said Hondo.

Ken looked at Emma. "Detective, this is your call".

"Sergeant Harrelson, I understand that you want to handle this and get it done with, but I know this kid. All I'm asking for is thirty minutes. If I'm not out by then, you can go in".

Hondo hesitated.

"Hondo, I know you'd do the same, if it was a kid you knew in there".

She was right. He would first use the soft method before going in guns blazing.

"You've got 30 minutes, then we go in".

Emma nodded.

"I want video and audio feed", said Hondo. "Deacon get her wired up".

The others huddled outside as they watched Deacon hook up Emma.

"Why does Deacon have such a grave look on his face"? asked Jim.

"I don't think he agrees with Emma's course of action", replied Dom.

Jim shrugged. "She's an undercover cop, she works for Narc. It's not like she's never done this kind of thing before".

"I agree, but the dynamic has changed", replied Dom.

"What does that mean"? asked Hondo.

Dom smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Hondo and the others looked at Emma and Deacon.

"You're serious", said Hondo.

"Wait! Deacon and Emma are together"? asked Victor.

"From what I gather, it's been almost nine months", replied Dom.

"We'll I'll be damned", said Hondo, "I didn't see that coming".

"None of us did", replied Dom. "I'm happy for them".

Emma glanced at Deacon as he put the wire on.

"Go ahead, get it off your chest".

He raised his eyes to meet hers. "We're here, you don't have to go in and play hero".

"I'm not playing hero, Deacon. I know this kid. I know he wanted to get out of all this mess. Besides, it's not like I've never done this sort of thing before".

He sighed but said nothing.

"What we are outside of work, doesn't change the fact that you and I do our jobs the way we've always done it".

"I just worry about you".

"I know. But this is just the kind of thing that makes people make mistakes. In all these months we've been together, I've worried about you too, but I've never doubted you. Don't doubt me".

He pressed his lips together. "It's just that I almost lost you once, I don't want to go through that again".

"I died and you saved me. And it scared the life out of me. I don't have a death wish. I would never put myself in that kind of danger when I know I can send SWAT in".

He nodded as he helped put on the bullet-proof vest.

Hondo joined them. "All set"? he asked Emma.

She nodded.

"Ok you've got thirty minutes, make them count".

Emma took the cell phone and called Marvin. "Marvin, I'm coming in and I'm unarmed. Bring the hostage to the door and we'll make the exchange".

"Don't try anything stupid".

"You have my word Marvin".

He hung up.

Emma looked at Hondo. "Let's go".

They walked over to the club door and waited. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Marvin showed up holding the wounded woman and his gun pointed at her head. He eyed Hondo and Emma could feel he was getting nervous.

"We're all good Marvin. I gave you my word and I'm going to keep it".

Marvin nodded and Emma took the woman and handed her over to Hondo. "You're safe now".

"Thank you", said the young woman. "My sister is still in there".

Emma gave one last look at the SWAT team and followed Marvin inside, going pointed at her.


	15. Chapter 15

When they walked into the club, it was dark, but she could make out the three other hostages sitting in a corner of the room.

Emma sat down on a bar stool and looked at Marvin. He was Afro-American and 19 years old.

Marvin looked at her. "You wanted to talk, so talk".

"You know, I was surprised when they told me it was you. No. Actually, the word I'm looking for is enraged"!

They all listened and watched. She was being strong, bold and tough in her words and tone of voice. Almost like a mother grounding her child.

"What is it to you"?

"A couple of months ago, you came to me remember, asking for help, saying you wanted out for your mother and I helped you. And now this? You're even deeper than you were before".

He said nothing.

"Let me guess, you're trying to prove to the Black Panthers that you've still got game. You walk into Hernandez' club and plan on stealing his money and drugs, earn back your gallons"?

"Something like that".

"What happened to your plan"?

"My mother died, that's what happened".

Her voice softened. "I'm sorry to hear that Marvin. I know you two were close, but why should that change everything? I found it honorable that you wanted to do it for your mother, but even if you never mentioned it, I know you were also doing it for yourself".

"You can't understand".

She raised an eyebrow.

"Try me".

"She's gone, without her I'm nothing"!

"I know it feels that way, but it's not the case".

"What would you know"? he replied angrily.

Dom looked at Deacon, feeling that things were heating up.

"Emma, you've got fifteen minutes", said Hondo in his radio.

"You think she can pull it off"? asked Chris.

"I hope she does".

"I know what it's like Marvin to lose a mother".

He looked at her.

"When I was in college, my mother died unexpectedly. She was my rock, my role model and when she died, my world shattered. It was her and me against the world. Sure, there was my dad and my brother, but they had their own thing going on and I somehow didn't fit in".

Dom put his head down as he remembered everything that had happened.

"Everything I had done in my life so far, was so that she would be proud of who I was. It mattered to me too, but we were so close that I wanted to do it for her too".

She held back the tears.

"I wanted, like you to lash out, do things out of anger, go off the deep end, but I knew I would not be honoring her in doing so and I'd be losing myself in the process".

She looked at Marvin who seemed to have soften a bit and no longer pointed the gun at her.

"What did you do"? he asked.

"I thought of her and I knew she didn't want that kind of life for me. She always wanted me to be the best I could be, the young woman who wanted to spread her wings and rescue the world. That's when I joined the Police Academy".

She looked at her watch, knowing she was running out of time.

"I knew your mother Marvin. I know that she was proud of you for wanting to turn things around. She believed that you could. Even if she's no longer around, don't you want to do it for her and for yourself"?

"It's too late now, anyway. I screwed up".

"Emma, you've got five minutes"! said Hondo.

Emma shook her head at Marvin. "It's not too late".

"I shot someone and I'm holding three more hostages. How is it not too late"?

"I'm not saying you're going to get away with it without facing the responsibility of your acts, Marvin. But once it's done, you can get a fresh start, I know you're capable and you want to".

"Emma, time's up, we're coming in".

She looked at Marvin and could tell he was thinking.

"That's a negative Hondo, hold your position. I need a few more minutes", she said discreetly as to not let Marvin on that she was in liaison with SWAT.

Hondo looked at Kwan and Cortez.

"Captain Kwan"? asked Jess.

"Captain Cortez, Detective Luca has the situation under control, I have faith that she's going to get through to this kid, just give her five more minutes".

Jessica looked at him and nodded. She then looked at Hondo.

"Five minutes Hondo, then you can go".

"Marvin, there are two ways that this can go. The first is you hand over the gun and walk out with me and you've got a shot at doing the right thing. The other is you don't, and I can't tell you how it will end for you".

He looked over at the three remaining hostages.

"Think about the pain you felt when your mom died. Do you want their families to feel the same"?

Marvin remained mute and Emma knew she had to take a stand.

She stood and placed herself in front of him.

"Marvin! You need to decide right now what kind of future you want kid. In less than two minutes, SWAT is going to come in and I won't be able to protect you. Make the damn call, Marvin! Now"!

He gave a glance at her, then the hostages and finally the door. He then looked at the gun he was holding in his hand. He then placed it on the palm of his hand and handed it over to Emma.

She gave a sigh of relief.

"Base camp, situation is under control. Hostages are coming out. Hold your fire", she said as she placed the gun in the back of her pants, turned Marvin around and handcuffed him.

Everyone outside smiled.

"I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but your mother would be proud of you, Marvin".

"Now what"? asked Marvin as they headed towards the door of the club.

"I'm simply putting you in front of the door, what you end up doing on the other side of it, that solely depends on you".

When they got outside, she handed him over to patrol cops and watched as they put him in the back of a patrol car.

Dom walked into Emma's office after having showered and changed. She was sitting at her desk filling in her report.

He sat down on the edge of her desk.

"I'm sorry".

She looked up at him.

"About what"?

"Not being there for you more when Mom died".

"Dom, it wasn't about you or even about dad. It was me. You and dad always did your own thing and mom and I did the same. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it wasn't. But when she died, I was lost. You, Dad and I had nothing in common. Mom always took care of me and Dad suddenly found himself with a young woman he knew nothing about, and he gave up and dug his head in work".

Dom tilted his head to the side. "Is that why you became a cop, so that there'd be a common ground"?

Emma shrugged. "Partly, maybe. I wanted to help those in need in other countries. I wanted to save the world", she said as she paused and laughed at the innocence of her goal, "I thought it would be more important to first try and save our city".

"I hope you know that you didn't need to be a cop for me to love you, right"?

She stood and hugged him. "I know, but I don't regret my decision for one minute. And I love you too".

Deacon walked in and paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt".

"No harm done", said Dom. "I'm going to head over to Janet's and get a good night's sleep".

He walked out and Deacon took Emma in his arms.

"You need more time"?

"No, I'll finish it in the morning, I'm beat".

She took the car keys out of her pocket and handed them to Deacon.

They walked out of the building towards the car.

"Night you guys".

They turned around and saw the entire SWAT team to the side of the parking lot watching them and smiling.

"Good night", replied Deacon as he Emma's hand in his. It was obvious that they all knew and there was no need to hide and in truth neither of them wanted to anymore.


	16. Chapter 16

**Two months later**

"Command, this is 30 David, suspect is headed North on South Figueroa in a red Chevy pickup, California license plate 7SVK554. We need a road block in place, between West 103rd and 104th", said Deacon as he and Hondo followed the pickup supposedly packed with explosives.

As they reached the road block, the pickup swerved and stopped. Cornered by Black Betty and the other patrol cars, he had nowhere to go.

They all got out of their vehicles and aimed their guns at the pickup.

"Metro SWAT! Step out of the vehicle and put your hands up"! yelled Hondo.

The man looked at them from inside the cabin but didn't budge.

Hondo looked at Deacon and they nodded to each other. They then proceeded to walk slowly towards the vehicle.

"Sir, please get out of the vehicle and place your hands where we can see them".

They took another step and the pickup exploded with such force that Hondo and Deacon were blown away and thrown to the ground.

They stood up and looked at the burning vehicle. It wasn't the way they had wished it would end, but the important thing was that they had managed to protect civilians.

Deacon touched his cheek and when he removed his hand, it was bloody. He walked over to the car and looked into the side mirror.

"You alright"? asked Hondo.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch".

They walked into the command center.

"You might want to clean that up, before Emma see's you", said Hondo with a smile.

"She won't be back till later today. She's passing her firearm qualification".

"I hate those", said Chris.

"We want to the range yesterday afternoon, she did great, I don't have a doubt she'll pass".

"My sister is sniper material", said Dom jokingly.

They walked into the kitchen and sat down to eat.

"Have you and Emma found a house yet"? asked Victor.

"We signed the deed last night".

"Congrats. Where is the house"?

"On Kilaine Drive in Simi Valley", said Deacon, "Four bedrooms, 3 baths, garden, pool".

"Wow", said Street as he whistled, "must be great. You planning a pool party anytime soon"?

"Let us move in first", replied Deacon laughing. "But promise we'll invite you all once we're settled in".

"If you guys need help moving in, count us in", said Hondo.

The others nodded.

"Actually, there is something I would need your help with".

Emma walked into HQ, she was tired but happy to have qualified again. She headed to the locker room, got undressed and headed for the shower. She heard the door to the locker room open. The footsteps stopped in front of her shower.

"Detective Luca"?

It was one of the officers at the welcome desk. "Yes Harriet"?

"Your father is here".

"Thank you, Harriet. Tell him I'll be out shortly".

She was puzzled. It wasn't that he never stopped by, but generally he told her or Dom in advance, and Dom hadn't mentioned anything. She didn't know if she needed to worry or not.

She put on a sleeveless, backless, deep V-neck, navy blue Maxi dress with pink flower motifs and black open toe high heels. She was so often in a suit with pants, that every chance she got, she wore more feminine clothes. She was also hoping that she and Deacon could go out for dinner somewhere. They both had been so busy the past couple of weeks that they had little time for each other.

She walked out into the hall and searched for her father. Not seeing him around she headed towards the SWAT division.

As expected, she saw him talking to Dom and Deacon. She walked over to them.

"I hear congratulations are in order", said Carl. "I spoke to Walter".

She smiled. "I see that good news travels fast".

Dom looked at her. "You passed"!

She stared him down jokingly. "What you had a doubt? Shame on you".

He hugged her. "Never had a doubt in my mind".

"Neither did I", said Deacon as he winked at her.

Carl turned towards her. "How about I take you out to dinner to celebrate"?

"We've still got some work around here", said Dom. "You two go and have a great time".

"I'd love that", she said.

She then turned to Deacon. "I'll see you at home".

"You bet", replied Deacon. "Have fun"!

As Emma and her father drove out the restaurant he had chosen, they talked about different things and it made the ride quite pleasant.

An hour later, they pulled up in the parking lot of The Carbon Beach Club Restaurant.

"Good evening Sir, do you have a reservation"? asked the hostess.

"Yes, Luca, a table for two".

"We've set you up on the terrace overlooking the beach. There's an amazing sunset".

"Thank you it will be perfect", replied Carl as they followed the hostess.

Carl pulled Emma's chair and then sat down next to her.

She looked out over the beach and smiled.

"This place is beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here".

"I'm glad you like it. It was recommended by someone I know. I thought it would be nice if we could catch up".

They hadn't seen each other since the Commission Gala, and she agreed it was a good idea.

The waiter came up to their table. He was in his mid-thirties, like Emma. Tall, blond and built and the way he was looking at Emma, it was clear that he was interested in what he saw.

"Good evening. Can I get you a cocktail to start with"?

"I'll have a Martini, no ice", said Carl.

"A day at the beach for me", replied Emma.

The bartender raised an eyebrow. She smiled at him. She wondered if he knew it was another name for Sex on the Beach.

"I'll be right back", he said.

"How are things"? asked Carl.

"Great. Work is good, life couldn't be better", she paused for a moment, "I feel like my life is finally where it should be".

Carl smiled. "I'm happy for you. Deacon also said you closed on the house yesterday".

"Yes. It's exciting".

"It's a big step", replied Carl, "but following a logical order. You think you'll ever get married"?

"I don't know Dad. After what Deacon went through with Annie, I'm not sure he's ready or will ever be ready to get married again".

"Is that something you can accept? Ever since you were a little girl, you wanted to get married".

"Really"? asked Emma.

"What you don't remember"?

"No. How old was I"?

Carl thought for a moment. "You must have been five. You came and sat on my lap and looked at me and said 'Daddy, I'm going to marry a cop', and you made it quite clear that it wasn't me"!

Emma laughed for a moment.

"You know, I don't need to be married to Deacon to know that he loves me and that I love him".

The waiter returned to the table with the drinks.

"Are you ready to order"?

Emma looked at him embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry, we haven't even looked at the menu yet".

"Not a problem. Take your time and let me know when you're ready to order".

Carl looked out towards the beach, then back at Emma who was looking at the menu.

"You know what else we haven't looked at"?

"What's that"? said Emma still looking the menu over.

"This amazing and beautiful sunset over the beach".

Emma shifted her eyes from the menu to the beach in front of her. She blinked a couple of times.

Standing on the beach, not too far from the restaurant terrace, in a black suit and white button-down shirt, was Deacon.

Carl watched her as she put the menu down. She smiled at Deacon. He was so handsome and the way he was looking and smiling at her made her heart accelerate.

"Looks like someone is waiting for you", said Carl lovingly.

She stood from her chair and walked off the terrace. She removed her shoes, placed them gently on the sand and slowly walked over to Deacon.

He watched, his eyes glowing with love, as she walked over to him. Her hair and dress blowing in the wind as the colors of the setting sun danced on her face.

She stopped in front of him and searched his eyes, smiling.

He smiled at her and took her hands in his.

"Emma, I came here tonight because when you realize that you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I'm with you. When I look at you, I can feel it. I look at you and I'm home".

He let go of her hands and removed a small black jewelry box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. He got down on bended knee and took her right hand in his.

"I promise my heart, along with my love to you. I will be faithful and true. I promise to always be there for you. I will cherish you until the end of time. God made me complete when he brought you into my life. I love you. Marry me Emma".

Tears of joy trickled down her cheeks. "Yes"!

He smiled at her as he took the ring from the box and placed it on her finger. He stood, took her in his arms and kissed her.

When they stopped kissing, they heard people clapping.

She turned and saw the team and her father standing further up on the beach. They walked hand in hand until they reached the others.

Carl hugged his daughter. "I hope you'll be as happy as your mother and I were".

"Thank you", she answered.

They then all took turns in congratulating them.

Dom was the last one to hug Emma. "You two belong together and I know he'll be an amazing husband. You know that he asked Dad and I, your hand in marriage".

Emma let her eyes roam over to Deacon who was talking with Hondo. He was amazing and more than she'd ever imagined he would be. He too made her complete and she couldn't envision her life without him.

Deacon took her hand and kissed her again, before thanking all of them for being there.

The team and Carl watched as Deacon led Emma towards the hotel for a romantic weekend.


	17. Chapter 17

Emma waited as she sat across from one of the tables in the room.

There was buzzing sound and the door opened.

She watched as he walked towards her and sat down.

"How are you Marvin"? she asked.

He looked first around the room at the other inmates who had visits, then her.

"It's hard", he replied.

She'd heard that he had been assaulted already a couple of times by other inmates and had wanted to check on him.

"You managing to keep yourself out of trouble"?

"I'm trying but it ain't that easy".

He had been charged with 2nd degree assault with a firearm and possession of a handgun without a permit. He had been sentenced to two years at the Los Angeles Country State Prison in level 4 housing.

She leaned over the table and looked at the different signs of his assault.

"I can only imagine how difficult it must be, but you need to keep your head down, serve your time and get out of here in one piece".

"Why are you here", asked Marvin?

"I told you before the shit hit the fan, that I would help you. You being in jail doesn't change that. You are a good kid who got dealt the wrong cards and made the wrong choices".

He stared at her.

"Do you believe in redemption"?

"I believe in starting over and in doing so you can change. As for redemption, that is between you and your God".

Suddenly, an alarm went off. Emma stood and looked at the guard as she heard the words come over his radio.

"Security breach in progress. Level 4 housing wing A and B. Lockdown protocol to be activated".

Just as the young security guard was about to manually override the door leading to the visitation area, another guard came inside, gun pointed at his head by several inmates.

She quickly took her detective's badge from her belt and placed it in her pocket. She knew that if they were aware of who she was, that she'd either be killed on the spot or taken hostage for negotiating.

All of them were wearing a blue bandana around their wrists, clear indication that they were part of the Crisp gang. They were known to be one of the most violent association of street gangs in the United States and in California. Their crimes included murders, robberies, drug dealing and other crimes, sometimes even rape.

They weren't the only gangs to be in this prison in level 4 housing, which worried Emma, because if some of these gangs had alliances, they also had rivals and a war of retaliation and domination was most probably going to explode.

"Everybody up against the wall", said one of the gang members holding a gun.

Marvin, Emma and the others did as they were told. The gang members walked over to them, shot and killed the two guards on the spot. Women were screaming and yelling in the panic and chaos of the situation.

When one of the gang members reached her, he looked her over. It was obvious that she wasn't dressed like most of the visitors in the room.

"What do we have here"?

Marvin looked at him. "She's my lawyer".

"Lawyer, huh"? he looked at her again. "Yeah, you look smart enough to be a lawyer. Good thing you're not a cop".

He continued going down the bee-line and she non-verbally thanked Marvin.

Even if she had managed to appear to be his lawyer, and they had bought it, she knew that there were enough guys in this prison, who could identify her, if not by being a cop, by being undercover with them. If the occupancy of the room didn't change, she had nothing to worry about but as the guy told them that they were going for a stroll, Emma realized that things could very quickly change!

Jessica and the Chief walked into the command center.

"We've got a hostile take over situation at Los Angeles County Prison".

They all lifted their heads from what they were doing.

"You'll get all the information on route and on site. Warden Debbie Asuncion will help in coordinating everything".

"Alright, people, you know what to do", said Hondo as they geared up and headed out towards the parking lot.

Once they were in the SWAT truck, Hondo took out the tablet and looked at the information.

"Ok, security breach is in the level 4 housing. We've got a total of 157 inmates over the two wings. The Warden says that it started as a fight between the Crips and the Surenos".

Chris raised her eyebrows. "I guess they'll never learn about putting rival gangs in the same wings".

"Well, they are lacking space and are under staffed so, they do what they can".

"Are there any civilians being held hostage"? asked Jim.

"Video surveillance shows that visitors have been removed from that location but we don't know where yet".

He tapped on the tablet to reveal the list of visitors.

"There are twelve civilian hostages still inside and 7 inmates that were there as well at the time things went sour".

He opened the link to the attendance sheet and started scrolling down through it. He suddenly stopped scrolling upon seeing Emma's name. He discreetly looked at Deacon then Dom but said nothing.

When they arrived on site, they met up with Jess, the Chief, the Warden and Mumford's team who had been called back in.

"Things are getting out of hand and fast", said Jessica.

They looked at the video feed screens.

"Most of our guards have either been killed or taken hostage. They've also managed to get into the armory".

"Right now, our top priority is to regain order and make sure that we get the civilians out safely".

"What is the update regarding the civilians? Do we have any idea of their location"? asked Hondo.

"From what we gather they are currently being detained in the canteen by a group of Crisps. But the Surenos are also circulating in the area".

"Meaning that they could get caught in the cross fire", said Deacon.

"We're going to need the blue prints and all the information you can give us", said Hondo.

He then turned to Mumford. "I suggest we separate into four teams. Three for resuming order and the fourth for civilian extraction".

"Sounds good to me", replied Mumford.

When they had split up the teams and handed over the various entry and action points, Hondo walked over to Jess.

"You look more worried, than you should be", she said, "Why"?

He pulled her aside and showed her the visitors list.

She read through it and then looked at him. "Emma is in there"? she whispered carefully knowing that Deacon and Dom were close by.

"Dom and Deacon can't know".

"How do you plan on doing that exactly? In less than a minute the faces of the hostages are going to be uploaded to your individual tablets".

"Jess, they can't go in there knowing this information. Remove her name and photograph from the list".

"Hondo, do you have any idea what you're asking me to do? If anything happens to her because she was not identified properly, there will be implications".

"You think I don't know that? This is Em, we're talking about here. You think I would put her in danger intentionally? You know that when emotions get involved, mistakes happen. We can't take that risk".

"I'm sorry Hondo, I can't make that call. Follow me".

They walked into the Command truck where Hicks was. Jess and Hondo explained the situation to him.

"Even though it's risky and not protocol, I agree with Hondo".

"Look, we all know Emma. We're not mixing up the teams. If you tell Mumford, he can tell his team. I'll tell Tan, Chris and Street and I'll make sure that Dom and Deacon pair up".

Jess said nothing.

"Do we have a visual on the canteen"? asked Hondo.

"Yes".

"Show me", he said to one of the tech guys.

It took him no time to find Emma. She was sticking out of the crowd simply by how she was dressed. He frowned.

"What is it"? asked Hicks.

"Can you do a freeze on that and zoom in"? asked Hondo.

The tech guy nodded.

Hondo looked at Jess. "She's not wearing her badge. Smart girl, she must have removed it when she realized what was going on. It'll buy us some time".

"But how much time? There are about 20 to 25 inmates in that prison who can identify her. If that happens"… Jess' voice stopped. She and Emma were close, very close.

"That ain't going to happen", said Hondo.

He knew he couldn't promise that, and it would be a damn miracle if she wasn't identified at some point, but he was going to do everything he could to make sure that she would be safe.

"Hondo, no one in your team is extracting civilians. I'm sending Mumford it".

He looked at Jess enrage.

"What"?!

"You said it yourself, when emotions are involved, people make mistakes".

"I'm not emotionally involved, Jess".

"She is the fiancé and the sister of two of your team members. You've known each other for years. You can't tell me that it's not personal. It's even personal for me".

Hondo was about to retaliate.

"It's not a suggestion Hondo, it's an order"! said Jess.

Hondo walked out as Jess called Mumford in.

Five minutes later, Mumford came out, looked at Hondo and nodded in his direction. He then walked over to his team and put them up to speed with the newest development.


	18. Chapter 18

All the hostages were sitting at the tables, waiting in fear.

Emma knew that SWAT was most probably already there and that they were in good hands. For the time being the Crisps seemed to be rather calm and it was a good thing. Although, she worried about what was going on in other sections of the prison. Every so often, they could hear yelling and shots fired, but they weren't from SWAT guns. It was hard knowing she was a cop and could do nothing.

Marvin looked at her. "Now what"?

"We sit tight".

"Shouldn't we do something", asked a woman sitting next to them.

"No. Right now this is the safest place. We keep our heads down and do what they ask of us".

The bombs went off on the doors of the different entry points and the SWAT teams entered the building.

Dom and Deacon entered through a supplier entrance and walked in the corridor. Along with the other teams, they waited for the electricity to be turned off.

The canteen door opened and a few more Crisps entered the room. They talked for a few minutes to the others and then looked over the group of hostages. That's when Emma saw him. Tyrone Trisk, aka Double T. She had put him away two years ago in a Narc raid.

She quickly turned around and Marvin looked at her.

"What is it"?

"Double T. He can identify me. I put him here", she replied.

"Maybe he won't recognize you", whispered Marvin. "Besides, I won't let them hurt you".

She looked at him softly and as heroic and nice it was of him; she would never let that happen.

"Marvin, I need you to promise me that if they come for me, you will not, I repeat, you will not intervene".

"We talked about redemption remember".

"I know, but this is not the way I want you to do it. You've got your whole life ahead of you. You stand up to Double T and you've got no future".

"Well, well what do we have here", she heard a familiar voice say.

She didn't look up at the voice.

"You bitch, look at me when I'm talking you to ya".

Emma exhaled and lifted her head up.

"If it isn't my favorite Detective. Detective Luca", said Tyrone.

"I see you're still getting in trouble Tyrone", replied Emmaline.

"Wait", said one of the guys who had brought them into the canteen, "she's a cop? She said she was his lawyer", he said pointing at Marvin.

"She's the one responsible for my being here", replied Tyrone. "Fancy that, Detective, you here, at my mercy. I'd say that's karma, wouldn't you"?

Emma didn't respond.

"What do we do? You want to kill her"?

Tyrone looked at her. "Not yet. She and I have some unfinished business together".

"Get up", Tyrone said as he towered over her.

Emma could see that Marvin was clenching his fists and was ready to spring into action. She gently placed a hand on his fist, looked him straight in the eyes and shook her head.

She rose to her feet and looked at Marvin.

She dug her left hand in her pocket and took out her badge. She then looked at her hands. She removed her engagement ring and handed both to Marvin. "If you come across Sergeant David Kay, you give this to him, got it"?

Marvin took the badge, placed it in his pocket and place the ring in his hand and tightened his fist around it as he nodded.

She turned around and Tyrone pointed the semi-automatic rifle he was holding at her.

"Let's go for a stroll".

Marvin watched helplessly as Tyrone took Emma out of the canteen.

"Where are we with the power being cut"? asked Hondo.

"Should be another minute or two", replied Jessica.

All the teams looked at each other in the respective holding locations. They were all ready to spring into action. It was just a question of when.

Tyrone led Emma down a few smoky corridors, indicating that a fire or fires had been started in the vicinity of where they were, he then unlocked and opened a door, before forcing her in.

She stood in the middle of what seemed to be an individual infirmary. There were a few cabinets, with meds and a gurney.

"Take off your jacket", said Tyrone.

"I'm not hot, I'll keep it on thanks", she replied.

He pointed the rifle in her direction. "That wasn't a request, bitch! Take off you jacket".

She slowly removed her jacket and placed it on the gurney.

Tyrone moved in closer.

"Now unbutton your blouse really slowly".

He watched as Emma's fingers grabbed the first button and undid it, then the second, slowly revealing her cleavage.

"That's what I'm talking about you bitch. I'm going to show you what it's like to mess with Double T"!

"Power off in five, four, three, two, one", said Jessica.

The power went off. They all placed their night vision glasses and walked into the lion's den.

Chris and Jim, two of Mumford's team, neutralized a few inmates as they proceeded down Wing B.

Hondo and Tan and the other team did the same from the other end as Deacon and Dom rescued a security guard in Wing A.

Mumford and another of his men, peeked in through the door window of the canteen. There were in total six guys, way more than they had initially known to be.

"We're going to need a bit more help in the canteen, we've got more inmates than planned. We can neutralize at least four of them, but we're putting the hostages at risk", Mumford said in his radio.

Deacon looked at the blueprint on his tablet. "Mumford, we're a few minutes away, we'll come give you back up".

Hondo lifted his closed fist, indicating to the others that they were stopping. "That's a negative Deacon, we'll go".

Deacon looked at Hondo's position. "Hondo, you are on the complete opposite side of the building, by the time you get there, things could have degenerated".

Hondo knew it was accurate. In the end, Deacon didn't know that Emma was there, so there was little chance for him to make an error in judgement.

"Alright, but you get the hostages out and you leave the premises. Is that clear"?

"Copy that", said Deacon as he and Dom headed to meet Mumford.

Emma wrestled with Tyrone to get possession of the rifle. The element of surprise for him had been the lights going out. Emma knew it was standard protocol and she had been patiently waiting. Seeing she was getting the upper hand, he headbutted her, sending her staggering backwards. He armed the rifle and tried to shoot, but the mechanism must have derailed, and it was jammed. He tossed it aside and grabbed a scalpel from a tray nearby. He swayed the scalpel and dove at Emma who sidestepped. He tried again and as she dodged the blade, it caught the side of her arm. She winced but didn't stop. She knew if she stopped moving, stopped trying, he would not give it a second thought and slit her throat. In one last effort, as he thrust himself in her direction, she dropped to the floor and swiped his legs, sending him crashing into the medicine cabinet.

"Metro SWAT", yelled Mumford, Deacon, Dom and Rocker as they entered the canteen. They shot and neutralized four of the Crisps before the other two surrendered. They cuffed them and locked them into one of the pantries in the kitchen.

"This is Sierra 1, situation is under control in wing B", said Hondo.

"Sierra 2, affirmative as well for our side of wing B", said Jim.

"This is Sierra 3 and 4, situation is also under control in the canteen, we are exiting with the hostages and the inmates", said Mumford.

As they exited the building, Mumford and the others split up the civilian hostages from the inmates that had been held hostage. He then very discreetly changed his radio frequency.

"Hondo, we've got a problem".

"Talk to me".

"Emma is not here".

"Say that again"?

"Emma is not with the hostages".

"We've secured every location in Level 4 housing. That's not possible".

Emma stood and coughed as the smoke coming from the ventilation got thicker and thicker. It was harder and harder to breathe. She towered over Tyrone as he took his last breath, the scalpel having planted itself in his neck when he had fallen over.

She placed her hand over her cut and analyzed it for a second. She then headed over to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. She realized that there was no key hole on that side of the door, but instead a numerical pad. She sighed and headed back towards the medicine cabinet. She grabbed disinfectant and a bandage and quickly took care of her wound. She then tore a piece of cloth from the bottom of her button-down shirt that she had untucked from her pants. She wet it and placed it over her mouth and placed herself near the door.

A female cop that he didn't know, walked up to Deacon.

"Are you Sergeant Kay"?

He looked at her. "Yes. What can I do for you"?

"One of the inmates that was held hostage says he has something for you".

"For me"?

The cop turned slightly and pointed to Marvin.

"Yeah, that's what he says".

Deacon recognized him and slowly walked over to him, Dom curiously trailing behind. Deacon stopped in front of Marvin.

"You're Marvin Davis, right"?

"Yes, sir".

Marvin then put his hand in his pocket. Deacon and Dom's initial reaction was to take out their guns.

Marvin immediately put his hand out of his pocket and raised it. "I promise I'm not armed. Please, she told me to give this to you".

"What are you talking about"? said Deacon as he put his gun down and Dom kept his aimed at Marvin.

Marvin then slowly went back to his pocket and when he opened his hand, Deacon blinked a couple of times as he recognized Emma's badge and engagement ring.

Deacon took them from his hand. "Where did you get that"?

"Detective Luca gave them to me before Double T took her away from the canteen". Dom holstered his gun.

"Detective Luca was with you when this happened"? said Deacon panicking.

"Yes, she was coming to visit me".

"Where is she"?

"I don't know where he took her".

Deacon handed over Emma's ring and badge to Dom and headed back towards the building.

"Sergeant Kay! Where do you think you're going"? said Hicks as he placed himself in front of Deacon.

"Chief, Emma is in there"!

"Hondo and Tan are still inside the building, they'll find her. You stay put. That's an order"!

Dom looked at Hicks. "And the same goes for you"!

Hondo and Victor walked through the different corridors.

"Emma, if you can hear us, call out"!

They kept walking.

"Hondo, tell me you've got her", said Jess.

"We're still looking".

"Emma, if you can hear us, call out"! said Hondo again.

Emma's eyes were stinging from the smoke and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. That's when she heard Hondo's voice. She tried to call out, but her throat was so sore and dry, she couldn't even utter a word. She took her fist and pounded on the door.

Hondo put his fist up. "Did you hear that"? he said as he looked at Victor.

"It was faint, but I heard something too".

"Emma, we can hear you, keep banging".

As the neared the part of the corridor where she was, they realized it was full of smoke.

Emma pounded again on the door.

Hondo and Victor ran and stopped in front of the door.

"Emma!? Can you hear us"?

They heard her coughing from the other side.

"She must be trapped in there, otherwise she would have gotten out. He placed a bomb on the door near the handle and keyhole.

"Emma, we're going to blow the door. Take cover".

Three seconds later, the door came off the hinges and landed a few feet further into the infirmary. They let the smoke clear from the room a couple of seconds and walked in.

"Hondo, over here"! yelled Victor as he found Emma sitting in the left-hand corner near the entrance.

Victor looked at her. "Can you walk"?

She nodded.

Hondo and Victor helped her up and they walked out into the corridor. She removed the cloth from her mouth.

"What took you so long"? she asked jokingly.

Hondo put his arm around her and hugged her. "Are you alright"?

"I'm fine. Are all the hostages OK"?

"Yeah, they got out fine".

She gave a sigh of relief. "Let's get out of here", she said.

All three walked towards one of the exits.

Deacon and Dom stood near the Command truck, watching and waiting.

When Deacon saw them coming from afar, about 50 yards away from where they were, he handed Dom his rifle and ran in their direction.

He stopped in front of Emma and took her into his arms and then kissed her.

Hicks and Jessica smiled at each other before going back into the Command Truck.

"Are you OK"? asked Deacon as he looked at her, then at her arm.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch".

He raised an eyebrow at her remark. It was exactly what he would tell her when he would come home with a wound. He placed her engagement ring back on her finger and handed her badge.

"Let's get you checked out", he said as he led her to the ambulance.

She saw that the inmates were being placed in a bus. "Just give me a minute".

He watched as she walked over to the bus line and stop in front of Marvin.

"He didn't hurt you did he"? asked Marvin upon seeing her. She knew what he meant.

"Do I look like I'd let a guy like Double T get what he wants"?

Marvin shook his head.

"Thanks for holding on to my things and handing over to Sergeant Kay".

Marvin looked past Emma's shoulder at Deacon.

"Is he your husband"? asked Marvin.

Emma smiled. "He will be in a couple of months".

"You're both very lucky".

"That's something for you to look forward to. Life is not just about doing bad things, it's also about love and trust. Just like I trusted you today".

Marvin nodded.

"I'll come check up on you in a while, so stay out of trouble, Ok"?

"I promise".

She then stepped back and watched as he boarded the bus and Deacon came to her side.

"You know he's partly the reason why I'm still alive".

"You had faith in him from day one".

"I guess when you show someone, they are important and that you have faith in them, they start to believe it and believe in themselves again".

Deacon nodded. "Can we get that arm checked out now"?

She nodded as they turned and headed towards the ambulance.

Mumford and his team looked at Dom and the others. "So, all this time, Deacon and Emma have been together"? asked Rocker.

"They got engaged two months ago", said Dom proudly.

"No wonder she kept telling me 'no' when I asked her out", said Rocker.

Dom frowned. "What? You asked my sister out? Repeatedly"?

Rocker shrugged.

"What part of 'she's off limits' did you not get? I told everyone at SWAT the day she started working at HQ".

"Well", said Rocker laughing as he looked at Deacon, "apparently, I'm not the only one who didn't get that part"!

They all started to laugh, and it felt good after the afternoon they'd had.


	19. Chapter 19

Chris, Jess and Janet took a step back and smiled upon seeing Emma.

"What do you think"? asked Emma nervously.

"Simply beautiful", replied Chris.

Emma smiled and turned to look at herself in the mirror.

The off the shoulder ivory crepe wedding dress was more beautiful than she had remembered it. She turned and looked at the back. It had a low V-shape with lace designs. It went down to the floor and ended in a round train of about a foot and a half long.

Her hair was up in a loose and wavy bun with a leaf comb with rhinestones and pearls.

The two bridesmaids and the maid of honor joined her in front of the mirror, and they all smiled.

The photographer took a few pictures then stepped out momentarily to head for the groom's room.

There was a knock at the door. It opened and Carl peeked his head inside before entering. He was wearing an elegant black suit and tie with a red rose boutonniere.

He smiled upon seeing Emma then looked at the others.

"May I have a moment with my beautiful daughter"? he asked smiling.

"Of course," said Jessica as she and the others headed for the door. "We'll be waiting for you downstairs".

They left the room and Carl hugged Emma.

"You look wonderful".

"Thanks Dad".

"Sit with me for a minute". He said as he took her hand and led her to the couch.

He took out a small jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Your mother wore this on our wedding day. She kept it so that she could pass it on to you when it was your turn".

Emma's eyes filled with tears as she opened the box and took out a beautiful diamond bracelet. Carl took it out of the box and placed it around Emma's wrist. It was pure, simple and beautiful. It was a white gold bangle with the bangle separating at the sides and twisting into diamond-lined ribbons until it reached the middle where a single diamond glistened.

As she touched it, a tear trickled down her cheek, thinking about her mother.

"Now, hopefully, one day, you'll be able to pass it on to your daughter".

She looked at her father. "I miss her".

"I know. So, do I".

"I wish she were here".

"She always dreamed about this day for you. I know that she's watching over you and she's proud of the woman that you've become. Just as I am proud of you".

He took out a handkerchief from his vest and handed it to her.

"Your mascara is going to run. She wouldn't want you to cry, not today, unless they are tears of joy".

Emma nodded as she dabbed the handkerchief under her eyes.

"I love you", said Emma as she hugged her father.

"I love you too".

He looked at his watch.

"It's almost time".

Deacon, Dom, Hondo and Jim walked from the open French doors out into the garden. When Emma and Deacon had decided to have the wedding at their new home, they knew it would be perfect. This was where their life together was really starting and where they wanted to create memories.

At the end of the garden, the Pastor was waiting under the beautiful white pergola.

Guests said hi to Deacon and the others as they headed towards the decorated pergola.

When they were in place, the Pastor nodded, and soft music came on. The doors opened again revealing, Janet and Chris in beautiful rose chiffon and satin, halter gowns. They slowly walked down the aisle.

Dom looked at Janet, he smiled and winked at her.

Shortly after, Jess walked down the aisle and placed herself in front of Janet and Chris near the Pastor.

The soft music was replaced by Pachebel's Canon and everyone turned to see the bride arrive.

It was the oohs and aahs that made Deacon lift his head and look down the aisle.

His eyes filled with awe, joy and love as he smiled at her. She smiled back, her heart racing. Just as he knew he would never forget the way she looked at that moment, she knew she would never forget how he looked at her.

People returned to their position as she and Carl passed them and headed for the pergola.

They paused a few seconds. Dom left his spot and placed himself on the other side of his sister.

"Who gives this woman away in marriage"? asked the Pastor.

"We do", said Dom and Carl in sync.

The pastor nodded. Dom returned to his spot between Hondo and Jim. Carl kissed Emma on the forehead lovingly then placed her hand in Deacon's.

As they took a step, hand in hand towards the pastor, he never took his eyes off her.

She was relieved. She knew he'd done this before, the proposal, the wedding, the dress and suit and her biggest fear had been that he would be blasé.

They listened attentively as the pastor made his speech.

They then exchanged vows and wedding bands.

"You may now kiss the bride", said the Pastor.

Deacon put his arms around Emma, pulled her in and dipped her slightly as he kissed her, sending the guests in applause.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. David Kay"!

Emma and Deacon, walked down the aisle hand in hand, smiling and happy.

The reception was perfect, and Emma and Deacon opened the dance floor on "Take my hand" by Emily Hackett, only having eyes for each other. Afterwards, the other guests joined them, and Emma danced with her father, then Dom and others as Deacon did the same.

"You look so happy", said Dom, looking at his sister as they danced together.

"I am happy. I feel like I have a constant smile on my face. People must think I'm on drugs", she said smiling.

"No, it warms my heart to see you this happy. Deacon is a very lucky man".

"I'm the one that's lucky. I have Deacon, you and Dad. What more could I possibly ask for"?

"Nothing, there is nothing more important than love and family and you've got all that", he said as he glanced at Deacon who was dancing with Janet.

Emma smiled at her older brother. "Looks like someone is getting mushy".

Dom laughed. "You know me, I love happy endings".

"You'll get yours".

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't think we're there yet".

Emma grinned. "I didn't say right now, but at some point in time, when you're ready".

He looked deeply into her eyes. "How do you know when you're ready"?

"If you're asking me, then you're not ready yet".

"Come on, humor me. How did you know"?

"I felt it in so many ways. When he isn't around, I don't feel complete. I can't picture my life without him in it and, I would move heaven and Earth for him. I'd sacrifice my life if it came down to it".

Dom smiled at the beauty of what she was saying. "As I said earlier, Deacon is extremely lucky to have you for a wife".

He then kissed Emma on the forehead lovingly and remained quiet until the song ended.

Later in the evening after cutting and eating the cake, they bid their guests farewell as they settled into their getaway car and headed for the airport for their 5-day honeymoon at the Pink Sands Resort in Harbour Island, Bahamas.


	20. Chapter 20

Emma and Deacon kissed in the main hallway of headquarters. They had spent an amazing and romantic honeymoon and almost regretted coming home.

"I'll be seeing you later", said Deacon as he headed down the hall towards SWAT.

"You better", replied Emma as she headed in the opposite direction towards Narc.

"Hey babe"? said Deacon.

Emma stopped, turned around and smiled at him. "Yeah"?

"We never really discussed this but what do I call you now when we're at work"?

"I hope it's alright with you, I decided I'd be Detective Emmaline Kay".

Deacon beamed.

"I love hearing that".

"Me too. I love you".

"I love you too".

Both turned and headed towards their respective departments.

"There he is"! said Chris as Deacon walked in.

"Looking more in love, relaxed and tanned, than I have ever seen him", said Hondo jokingly. "It's good to have you back"!

"In all honesty, I wish we were still in the Bahamas, but man is it good to see you guys"! he said as he hugged each one of them.

"How's Emma"? asked Victor.

"She's good"!

"I bet she's good"! replied jokingly Jim.

Dom punched him. "You're still talking about my sister, Street! Watch it".

"And my wife"! chipped in Deacon.

"I was implying the relaxing time she had in the Bahamas".

"Bullshit", replied jokingly but firmly Dom.

"Sorry the honeymoon was short and is over, man", said Dom.

Deacon raised an eyebrow. "Who said it was over"?

They all laughed.

Early evening, just as the team was about to end their shift, Hicks and Cortez walked in.

"We've got a home invasion in Glendale. Seventeen-year-old, Tiffany Jameson was alone at the time. When the parents came home from work, they were shot at by the suspects. Suspects are still on site and have barricaded themselves in with the victim. We don't know how many there are for sure, but they seem to have quite an artillery. Anyone who approaches the house is bombarded".

"Alright", said Hondo. "Everybody gear up, you know the drill"!

Emma was singing and dancing in front of the stovetop when Deacon walked into the kitchen. She looked at him then walked over to turn off the radio.

"Are you okay"? she asked as she walked up to him.

"I'm fine", he said as he kissed her. "Smells awfully good in here".

"Babe? Talk to me".

"It's work-related. I don't want to bother you with that, Annie always made me separate"… his voice trailed off as he saw Emma raise an eyebrow.

He placed his hand on her cheek. "You're not Annie. I'm sorry".

"It's OK", she said as she turned and headed back to the stovetop and stirred in the stir-fried vegetables.

He walked over to her and placed his arms around her from behind.

"No. It's not OK".

He gently made her turn. She looked him in the eyes, trying momentarily to find the right words.

"David and Deacon are one and the same for me. I know what we do out there every day is hard, and I want you to be able to talk to me about it, just like I may need to talk to you about it. I don't ever want you to feel as though you can't share with me your worries, your fears, your pain. I married you for better or worse, there is no in between".

"You're right", he said.

He then inhaled and looked at Emma.

"We went to a home invasion today. The suspects were holding a young girl hostage. By the time we got there, she was already dead".

"I'm sorry. I know it's hard".

"She was 17, Emma. She had her entire life ahead of her. She was getting ready to go to college and now, her parents are going to have to prepare her funeral"!

Emma wasn't a parent, but she had so much empathy, that she knew from past experiences, how difficult it was for parents to lose a child, regardless of the age or the circumstances. In every parent's mind, it was them who should leave this world first, not the other way around.

"Maybe if we had gotten there sooner…".

She took his face in his hands.

"Deacon, don't do that. With ifs, we can recreate the entire world, but it won't change anything. You guys did everything you could to save that young girl. The fact that she died is not on you, it's on the home invaders. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, there will be losses. It's hard, but that is unfortunately the world in which we live in".

"I just want to make this place a safer place for my children, for all the children".

Emma smiled. "I know you do; we all do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing what we do every day".

He nodded, kissed her and proceeded to help her set the table and finish cooking super.

Later that evening, as he watched Emma asleep next to him in bed, he couldn't help but think at how everything was different with her. When he was married to Annie, he tried to bring work home as less as possible. Even though she was understanding, there was a certain dimension that she couldn't grasp, and he hadn't wanted her to be aware of all the awful things he had seen. Emma, even though she wasn't SWAT, knew way too well how hard and horrible things could be. He never thought it would be, but is was a relief in a way, he didn't have to keep a lot of things to himself. It was nice to share the burden at times. He hoped it would always be the case.


End file.
